First of all i'd like to say that i'm tired of just reviewing new albums so i'm going to be including reviews to older stuff i've been listening to lately...well...eventually...this one is all new albums though haha.
Album #1
The Dead Weather - Horehound
Man, oh man! I've been anticipating this album ever since the very second i read about it possibly happening!
Dean Fertita is a freaking GENIUS as making noises...wether it be with his guitar or other instruments...he is queens of the stone age's secret weapon...and a definite force to be reckoned with in The Dead Weather. "Hang you from the heavens" is a super sweet single and would be in heavy rotation if i had my own radio station. "Treat me like your mother" is full of sexy awesome dirty rock riffs.
Basically...this album is full of unique noises, sick rock n' roll groove, awesome songs, incredible talent, and absolutely soul shattering happiness!
Comments/Complaints: No complaints except that it took too long to come out...this album is by far one of the most beautiful pieces of rock n' roll created ever...no doubt
My ranking: 11/10
Album #2
Nebula - Heavy Psych
This band is formed from past members of Fu Manchu...and it sort of shows...but it's more psychadelic in nature and less desert rock...however it does have some sweet rock n' roll moments. These guys havent put out an album in seemingly forever so new music from desert rock icons is always fun!
Comments/Complaints: no complaints really...this is a heavy psychadelic bluesy desert rock album
My Ranking: 8.5/10
Album #3
Dysrhythmia - Psychic Maps
Dysrhythmia makes super heavy instrumental metal that i've become very fond of...really i'm fond of everything Colin Marston makes...behold...the arctopus, krallice, and this band are all incredibly awesome projects of his. At times this album reminds me of something Converge, or the old version of Dillinger Escape Plan would write and it totally rules! Plus this album was made with the thought in mind that it's really heavy instrumental music that gets boring if played too long, so the album is very heavy and has alot of awesome moments...but it ends before you get bored! Which is awesome! I love it when a band makes a really good album...with a really good statement, that doesnt overstay it's welcome!
Comments/Complaints: CAN'T WAIT FOR NEW BEHOLD...THE ARCTOPUS ALBUM!
My Ranking: 8/10
Album #4
Revolution Mother - Rollin' With Tha Mutha'
"LIVEEEE! I'M GONNA FLY HIGH! I'M GONNA LIVE FAST! I'M GONNA RIDE THE SKYYY!!" The minute i heard those words uttered over some of the filthiest southern rock/thrashy skate punk riffs i've ever heard while the song played during a great scene in "The Hangover" i KNEW i had to listen to whatever band it was; so i stayed to the end credits and saw it was Revolution Mother and instantly, i remembered seeing them at warped 07 and being blown away and then i looked the song up later that day and found out they are on ferret records now and have a new album droppings so i instantly built up anticipation.
On saturday July 4th at roughly 10:35 am i got this album in my hot little hands and havent stopped obsessing over it yet.
Basically, Revolution Mother plays hard, fast, dirty, filthy, groovy, thrashy hard rock with a decidedly skate punk vibe. All the songs have a big fat groove and more than a few memorable riffs and even some very entertaining although quite cheesy lyrics.
This album is the soundtrack to the life of anyone who has drank a bottle of whiskey while riding a harley naked through the desert on their way to destroy all involved members of the rival gang that killed their dad.
Comments/Complaints: awesome awesome awesome AWESOME!
My Ranking: 10,000 decibels/10
Album #5
Mount Eerie - Wind's Poem
Phil Elverum is a genius....plain and simple. Never have i EVER witnessed a more entertaining spectacle than watching this guy sit with his legs indian crossed and barefoot on a stage in a random gym looking room at tech and play through a dirty, beaten up, awesome SunnO))) amp with his guitar and emit this ridiculously heavy music in the simplest form. Basically it's metal for indie kids who are too cool to listen to slayer and neurosis...now it's not really metal though...more like, ambient, noisy, heavy, doomy, beautiful indie music.
It's got alot of jesuesque atmosphere and a very low-fi black metal vibe and times, and alot of beautiful noises emitting from it...not to mention phil elverum has an incredible voice.
Comments/Complaints: this is a great album to listen to at midnight with a lit candle and a glow in the dark immortal poster on your wall while sipping on hot tea and pondering your life
My Ranking: 8/10
Album #6 Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
I used to HATE HATE this band...mostly because a friend of mine would play them at all the wrong times when weird noisy indie wasn't my preferred genre of the moment...however after hearing the new album by dirty projectors i must say that i am a fan. The music is very creative and obscure, and at times rockin and dancy which is pretty cool and they also take their very unique vocal stylings and go haywire. This album is really really really good but i've only heard it all the way through a couple of times so i really want to listen more and let it sink in because it's really good.
Comments/Complaints: Need to listen to it more to get the full gist of it. It's got alot of awesome creativity on it and it really hits all the perfect spots in my brain that make it repeatable and memorable
My Ranking: 9/10
Album # 7
Arabian Safari - Organ Donar
*Editors Note*
I am friends with the 2 guys that wrote this album, but in no way is this review even the slightest bit biased because it really is that good.
Matt Sigur and Paul Kintzing have finally put out an actual album under the arabian safari name and i say it's about time! These guys have amazing chemistry together as musicians as well as enough talent to really accentuate each others styles.
One thing i like about this album is that alot of the songs are short and to the point and have a very very good tone to them. Of course alot of the songs like "Slogan" have a very Dinosaur Jr/Sonic Youth vibe...but A: who can blame them B: how can that be bad? The vocals on that song sound very interpolish to me with a dinosaur jr guitar riff. The album has a very strange production sound to it because though it has a very rough production to it...that rawness actually makes the songs come off better because it keeps them from becoming over-polished and keeps them at a very noisy indie rock level which is cool. Also, the song "Song For Ringo" is awesome! And not even because it's named for me! It has a very very VERY cool Zombi-like guitar tone that gives it a cool "intro to a movie about a space shuttle launch" vibe.
Comments/Complaints: though the album was kind of rushed it seemed...it is by far some of the best material i've ever heard these 2 guys do together and it showcases both of their talent quite well and it finally gives 2 incredible young musicians a good quality demo that they can shop to record labels and music nerds to help them get going down their road of future musical domination!
My Ranking: 8/10
Album #8
Dream Theater - Black Clouds and Silver Linings
The last Dream Theater album was really really good...however it seems that they are so super talented that they just figured they needed to make the most technical and crazy album ever...and it made it hard to listen to completely...however with this new album they have done it perfectly! All of the songs tell a great story and instead of just jumping out of the box immediately with super heavy stuff they let the songs build so it leaves you waiting for something awesome to happen...and BOOM! the crazy drum fills and guitar solo's and keyboard solo's go crazy...but now it's only when necessary and they don't detract much from the actual songs which is pretty cool. This album may not get alot of good reviews from hardcore DT fans...but i love it and think that they hit their stride majorly with this album.
Comments/Complaints: lots of awesome dream theater wankery mixed with memorable lyrics and songs make for a great album
My Ranking: 9/10
Album #9
Between The Trees - Spain
A friend of mind recommended i check this band out a long time ago and i did and was impressed, however, i noticed one thing then that is even more strikingly obvious now.
The singer for Between the Trees sounds JUSTTTT LIKEEEE the turd that sings for the fray, who is a quite blatant rip off of jon foremand of switchfoot. But seriously, if you were to walk in a room where a song by this band is playing you would automatically either think it was the fray or switchfoot...now that's not saying that's a bad thing. One thing i like about this band is that it has all the happy awesome catchy piano rock vibes that you get from the fray...but it leaves you without all the feelings of guilt and regret and questioning your sexuality that you get when you listen to the fray...and for that i fully back this band! They are also awesome live.
Comments/Complaints: this band is a more indie centered version of the fray
My Ranking: 7/10
Album #10
August Burns Red - Constellations
This band and i have a rather sordid past with each other. See, i think all of the people that really really like them and wear their stupid shirts are all gay. Mainly because they are NOTHING spectacular in their genre and their music is a blatant rip off of other bands of the same genre but with less talent. With that said i'm going to avoid wasting my time 4 minutes at a time and just give the vibe i get from each song individually
Track 1: sounds like oceans between us era as i lay dying riffs but with a less talented singer
Track 2: oh, great...more blatant as i lay dying riffs
Track 3: more as i lay dying riffs.
Okay, you know what...i'm trying to find the merit in this...but this band is stupid and if you want to hear this album...but done in better quality just listen to An Ocean Between Us by As I Lay Dying because this album sounds exactly like that one...i mean EXACTLY LIKE IT! seriously...
Comments/Complaints: seriously, why in the hell do people like this band? In fact, if someone asks me for this album at the store i'm going to hand them the as i lay dying album instead.
My Ranking: N/A
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Definetly going to check out that Dead Weather.
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