New Music Reviews
Reviews Archive |
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| John Mayer Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles   |
The Offspring Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace |
Kerli Love Is Dead  |
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| Alkaline Trio Agony & Irony |
Julianne Hough Julianne Hough |
Billy Joel The Stranger: 30th Anniversary Edition |
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| Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis Two Men with the Blues |
Various Artists Big Blue Ball |
Robert Lamm The Bossa Project |
The Black Keys: Attack & Release
Chicago: Stone of Sisyphus (Chicago XXXII)
Foxboro Hot Tubs: Stop Drop and Roll!!!
Teddy Thompson: A Piece of What You Need
Martha Wainwright: I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too
Weezer: Weezer (The Red Album)
Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue: Legacy Edition
Bullz-Eye Recommends
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| Elvis Costello and the Imposters Momofuku |
James Hunter The Hard Way |
Supergrass Diamond Hoo Ha |
Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs
The Raconteurs: Consolers of the Lonely
From the Archives
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| John Mayer Heavier Things |
Night Ranger Hole in the Sun |
World Party Dumbing Up |
CD Quick Takes
More QuickTakes / QuickTakes ArchiveVal Emmich: Little Daggers
Val Emmich is a name you may not recognize, but here’s a dude (yes, Val is a man) that has released five albums and an EP, one on a major label and a few on indies. And years of touring with the likes of Butch Walker, Gavin DeGraw and Better Than Ezra has helped to shape Emmich’s current style and songwriting on his latest, Little Daggers. Emmich played most of the instruments on this effort, and it’s filled with anthems and rockers, heartfelt lyrics, and hooks that are sometimes subtle but usually engaging. It’s the kind of album you probably won’t hear on the radio, but you’ll find playing in some cool record store or, if Emmich is savvy at marketing, in a motion picture. You can take the songs on which Emmich tries a bit too hard, especially on “Hurt More Later” and “Darling Denise,” the latter of which sounds kind of like emo whining. But the bulk of the tracks are very good, bordering on really, really good. In particular, the first few rocking numbers, “The Lucky Ones” and “Get On With It,” will have you quite possibly dancing on the roof of your car, while the best track of all, “Down,” sounds like a cross between Butch Walker and a more somber Bruce Springsteen. Despite a few clunkers, this is still one of the better albums by an independent artist in 2008. (LABEL: bluhammock music)
Mike Farley
7/4/2008
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The Feelings Mutual: The Feelings Mutual EP
The Feelings Mutual is a power pop trio from San Diego, and having been together for less than a year at release time, this five-song self-titled EP is literally hot off the presses. But it surely does what every good EP does, which is to make you want at least five more songs. There are hints of quite a few things going on in the Feelings Mutuals’ songs, including garage rock (think The Strokes), ‘90’s alt-pop (think Better Than Ezra), edgy pop (think Butch Walker) and active rock radio fare (think Breaking Benjamin). But what’s most impressive is that these three dudes somehow tie all that together in a way that, while obviously unique, is still quite palatable. Once you stop trying to figure out how they do it, and just listen, the answer is simple — this is a damn good band. Blazing rocker “Monolith” and rock anthem “Ring Me Out” are the standouts on a fine debut. Now let’s hope the Feelings Mutual gets in a van, tours, lives some life, and makes some more music. (Ares Records)
The Feelings Mutual MySpace Page
Mike Farley
7/4/2008
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Kasper from the K: Whatcha Gondo EP
Yes, his rhythmic style is little more than a combination of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg, but there is something charming about Kentucky white boy Kasper from the K (Timothy Hoggard to his mother). Maybe it’s the fact that he accepts that he’s a white boy, and forgoes the cliché hardcore gangsta scene in favor of sleazy club jams. And man, are these songs sleazy: there isn’t a moment on the Whatcha Gondo EP where Kasper isn’t talking or thinking about getting’ him some freaky. The super freak path is a slippery one, though; go too far, and you come off as a serial rapist, but Kasper is more fast-talking himbo than roofie-slipping perv. And with a calling card like the super-catchy, “Obsession”-cribbing title track, he is going to be up to his eyeballs in women for the foreseeable future. Isn’t that the primary reason why guys get into music in the first place? Sure, “Whatcha Gondo” might wind up as the “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back to My Room)” of the new millennium, but as long as it helps him score women, we doubt Kasper will care much about his long-term legacy. (EO Music)
Kasper from the K MySpace page
David Medsker
7/4/2008
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The Baseball Project: Vol 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
When you stop and think about all of the work and traveling involved in a 162-game baseball season, it’s no wonder that the game is littered with characters and funny stories. And while there have been your share of light-hearted songs about the game of baseball over the years, such as “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “Talkin’ Baseball,” it was high time that someone poke a stick in the collective belly of the sport. Enter this group of wise guys – Scott McGaughey (R.E.M.) and Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate). After enlisting Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Linda Pitmon (Golden Smog) to round out The Baseball Project, the group whipped up thirteen songs and hit the studio, and the result is Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. Nothing is sacred here, including maybe the best song title ever, “Ted Fucking Williams.” They also pick on guys like Curt Flood, Harvey Haddix, and Fernando Valenzuela. But perhaps the best track of all is “The Yankee Flipper,” a reference to rocker and former pitcher Jack McDowell, about the time he flipped off 50,000 booing fans at Yankee Stadium. But here’s a bonus - the music is really good. It’s raunchy garage rock with R-rated lyrics, but melodic enough to suit most musical palates. Serious fans of both baseball and music should own this one and look forward to Volume 2. (LABEL: Yep Roc)
The Baseball Project MySpace Page
Mike Farley
7/4/2008
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Bill Purdy: Move My Way
His album artwork looks like an accident and his name sounds like he should be running a Chevrolet dealership in Hogeye, Arkansas, but Bill Purdy is actually a damn fine singer/songwriter – as evidenced by his debut EP, the five-song, self-released Move My Way. He bills himself as “Jack Johnson meets Dr. John,” and that falls within spitting distance of the truth, but if these tracks are a reliable indicator, Purdy has a lot more in common with rootsy troubadours like Martin Sexton. The EP offers a seamless blend of soulful ballads and breezy up-tempo numbers, all of them anchored by Purdy’s keys – he plays piano, Wurlitzer, and B-3 here – and sandpaper-coated-in-honey vocals. The songs are catchy, a little bit funky, and as warm as a Memphis night in July. If anything, Purdy could stand to scuff up the edges of his sound a bit more – his press kit tries to lump him in with artists like Johnson and John Mayer, and it’s easy to see him heading that direction, but no matter how strong the pull of the middle of the road might be, Purdy’s career will be much more interesting if he keeps hanging out in the weeds. Get busy with that full-length follow-up, please. (Bill Purdy 2008)
Jeff Giles
7/4/2008
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From First To Last: From First to Last
From First To Last is the latest band to walk the tightrope between Warped Tour and Active Rock radio fare. They’ve toured with the likes of Story of the Year and Fall Out Boy, but have a bit more edge along the lines of fellow Floridians Yellowcard. You might think bands in this genre can take other band’s music and put it in a blender to create their own style, and it’s hard to argue against that. But From First To Last has enough songwriting chops to separate themselves from the pack a bit. A lot of From First To Last’s Suretone Records debut is like listening to one long song. But there are a few standouts, and they are all melodic, blazing rockers—“Two As One,” “Worlds Away,” and “Tick Tick Tomorrow.” These guys might be in a crowded genre, but they’re worth keeping an eye on. (Label: Suretone)
From First To Last MySpace page
Mike Farley
7/4/2008
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