Category: Album Reviews

Hearing Aide: Eminem returns with ‘Shady XV’

Before listening to this newest installment of what Eminem has to say, I was excited. I’ve been a fan of Eminem since I first heard of him in sixth grade: an era when Carson Daly hosted TRL and MTV actually played music videos. My friends and I ignored the parental advisory warning, sneaking down to the basement to listen to this risqué new music we downloaded from Napster. We were suburban white kids. We were angry. And we loved him. Shady XV marks the 15th anniversary of his record label Shady Records, as well as the 15th project his label has produced.

Shady XV is comprised of two CDs, the first features all of Eminem’s new music, including tracks from collaborating artists including Yelawolf, Slaughterhouse, and Royce da 5’9. The second disc is a re-release of old favorites from Eminem and other artists on the Shady Record label like 50’ cent, Obie Trice, and D-12. The songs complied include hits like “Lose Yourself”, “PIMP”, and “Purple Pills.”

Upon first listen I was disappointed. As for content, Shady XV touches on a lot of the same themes as his previous albums like dysfunctional relationships, his childhood, and ultra-violent revenge fantasies that are dripping with misogynistic lyrics. At certain points it came across as stale, tired, and slightly disturbing. His shock value has depreciated like a new car driving off the lot.

I took a moment to reflect and listened to it again, keeping in mind that Slim Shady is a persona purposefully used to espouse a violent dark side. I came to view it from a different perspective. I saw Slim Shady as performance art, like a musical version of a horror film. Looking at it from an artistic and technical perspective, this album is ingenious.

The first song “Shady XV”-the album’s title track-comes across as more of a freestyle over what sounds like an off beat classic rock sample. Instead of relaying a narrative like a lot of Eminem songs, (like the song “Stan” for example) these lyrics are more stream of consciousness in nature. Eminem’s word play is still on point and clever with lyrics like,

“I’ll snort a key and pick a fight with a locksmith” and “You’ll feel like Master card when I’m charging.”

The humorous lyrics help balance out the aggressiveness, and make it a little more playful. At the end of the song, he cuts the track and raps without a beat, continuing to bounce from one idea to the next.

“Psychopath Killer” is next which is by Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf but features Eminem. The beat is reminiscent of trip hop and samples a woman singing in a hauntingly beautiful voice. The song kind of gives the impression that they’re rapping from some sort of dark alley in the rain. The song focuses on being a “lyrical murderer”, and rapping as art. Several of the songs on this album are by or feature artists who belong to Shady Records. These songs including “Detroit vs. Everybody”, “Y’all Ready Know”, “Bane”, and “Till It’s Gone”, show that Eminem has a knack for finding talent.

“Die Alone”, “Vegas”, and “Twisted” are among the most violent songs on the record and harbor the same old angry sentiments that Eminem has built his empire upon. “Die Alone” addresses unrequited love and reflects yet another dysfunctional love affair. “Vegas” finds Eminem kicking a pregnant woman and alludes to raping Iggy Azalea. The chorus of “Twisted” definitely lives up to its name with Eminem and Skylar Grey crooning to each other about how much they want to kill one another.

“you’re a pain in my neck/thorn in my side/stain on my blade/blood on my knife”

These lyrics are definitely not for the faint of heart and the beats aren’t exactly catchy, but the technical style keeps these songs interesting. Eminem utilizes syncopation and different rhythms in delivering his verses that sounds like a change up from previous albums. Yelawolf’s verse on “Twisted” is the highlight.

“Guts Over Fear”, and “Fine Line” are the songs that retain the most substance on this album. “Guts Over Fear” is a reflection on the tipping point where Eminem has seemingly found himself. With lyrics like,

“What am I gonna do/when the rage is gone and the lights go off in the trailer park?”

It touches upon the fact that the persona that has built Eminem into one of the most acclaimed rappers of our time also boxes him in. Is raises the question who is he as an artist without this incredibly violent shtick? How long before this gets played out? “Fine Line” portrays Eminem struggling with his fame, asking

“Is it really my soul to keep/or have I sold it cheap?”

He goes on to relate how sometimes he longs for normalcy, and the ability to go out in the world unnoticed. The song is laid over a piano driven beat with a lackluster chorus. He somehow manages to sound angry even while saying “I love you.”

If you’re looking for some new personal revelations from Slim Shady, you’re not going to get them in this album. The topics that are addressed are devoid of any character development, and still reflect the same sentiments that I first heard in my parent’s basement in 1999. However, what Eminem has developed over these years are his style and his ear for talent. Eminem’s manipulation of words to connect abstract concepts together, as well as his innate understanding of diction is what continues to make Eminem a master of his craft.

Key Tracks: Guts Over Fear, Bane, Psychopath Killer

December 17, 2014
Hearing Aide: Wu-Tang Clan ‘A Better Tomorrow’

Undoubtedly one of hip hop’s most influential groups, The Wu-Tang Clan have unleashed their first album in over seven years A Better Tomorrow on December 2 via Warner Brothers Records. It was only a couple months ago, that Warner Brothers Records signed the Wu. With years in the making, A Better Tomorrow almost didn’t happen due to internal beefs within the group. However, they overcame all the problems and dished the record out. So after all these years, does RZA (who produced most of the album) and The Wu-Tang Clan still have it?

The album starts off really strong with “Ruckus In B Minor.” Every member of the Wu has their moment in this song. (which is totally refreshing especially earlier in the year when Raekwon at one point didn’t want to record on this album or appear in any videos due to a clash with RZA) We are even graced by the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard with some of his recordings infused into the track. Very great production on this track from RZA and Rick Rubin. (only track he produces on) Overall lyrics are catchy, awesome hook from Method Man, and a killer retro sounding beat. Wu-Tang was clicking on all cylinders with this track.

Next, the emotional song “Felt” has verses from Masta Killa, Cappadonna, Ghostface Killah, Method Man and an into from RZA. This track would have been better but the beat and production was a little too strong, kind of overbearing all the rapping.

The next track “40^th Street Black/We Will Fight” is a FANTASTIC track. Great lyrics, such a feel good song that makes you get pumped. To top it off, The Rutgers University’s Scarlet Knights Drumline appears on this track, really giving this song a sports anthem feel to this. I would not be surprised if we start hearing this song at sporting events or on ESPN. Excellent production from Allah Mathematics. (who produced two tracks on this album.)

At four tracks into the album, “Mistaken Identity” feels like a missed opportunity because we get powerful lyrics from Inspectah Deck, Method Man, U-God, Cappadonna, and Masta Killa. But again the production and instrumentals overpower all the rapping. Lyrically, arguably one of the best on this album.

“Hold The Heater” is a heavy, hardcore hip hop track. It contains a very powerful hook with very good production. We hear about life on the streets as told by RZA, Cappadonna, U-God, (who really shines on this track) GZA, and some good closure from Method Man.

On the sixth track we get a brief, yet powerful track entitled “Crushed Egos” with rapping from Raekwon and RZA. I would speculate the two of them got together and wrote this track after the patched things up earlier this year. Again, we are graced with a powerful hook on this song. Raekwon, who doesn’t really appear much on the album at this point, really shines here.

Then we get another powerful track with “Keep Watch.” This is the other track produced by Allah Mathematics. The track samples The Sweet Inspirations “You Roam When You Don’t Get It Home” which musically adds a nice element to this track. Method Man and Inspectah Deck really shine here. Also they make reference to former New York Giant Justin Tuck. Nice sports reference there.

Halfway through the album we get to the track “Miracle.” This track I’m not a fan of. The hook is soft, and I really don’t think it fits appropriately with Wu-Tang Clan. I can do without this track. But the next track “Preacher’s Daughter” makes up for it. Again, Wu-Tang, who are masters of sampling, sample Dusty Springfield’s “Son Of A Preacher Man.” This track is amazing. Great hook, great lyrics, and excellent production from RZA. I think a lot of people will be talking about this track.

The album goes back to the classic “Kung Fu” sounds that we are accustomed to from Wu-Tang with “Pioneer The Frontier” with some Ol’ Dirty Bastard lyrics mixed in the refrain. It’s a cool little track before we go into “Necklace,” which again goes into the “Kung Fu” mode. This marks the last of two tracks produced by 4^th Disciple.

Getting close to the end of the album, we get “Ron O’Neal” which is catchy track. Not sure why it’s called “Ron O’Neal” minus a brief Super Fly reference, but it’s has a great hook. Then we get the title track “A Better Tomorrow” which again uses excellent sampling, this time “Wake Up Everybody” from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Brilliant lyrics from Method Man, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, and Raekwon.

Then we get educated from Wu-Tang with “Never Let Go.” I say educated because this track is their serious and preaching side. It seems very appropriate at this point in the album. Also it opens and closes with samples of Martin Luther King’s speeches which adds a tasteful flavor to this song.

Finally, the album ends on a clever and high note with “Wu-Tang Reunion” which finds them sampling again, this time, sampling The O’Jay’s “Family Reunion.” This is a brilliant way to end the album because this one is a very positive song. I believe they did this to show that the group is here to stay, and that they are happy to be running together twenty-years plus strong.

To sum it all up, this is an excellent output from Wu-Tang Clan. I believe this is the album that 2007’s “8 Diagrams” wanted to be. If you’re going to compare this to “36 Chambers” you will be disappointed, but if you’re a fan of Wu-Tang Clan, or a fan of true hip hop, then this album is enjoyable. It has a nice variety of serious songs, songs about the streets, positive songs, sports-anthem songs, and more. A Better Tomorrow may be Wu Tang’s deepest album. Obviously it misses the spunk that Ol’ Dirty Bastard would bring to the group, but I think with this album ODB would be proud. It’s worth the investment.

Wu-Tang Clan is forever.

You can purchase A Better Tomorrow here.

Key Tracks: Ruckus In B Minor, 40^th Street Black/We Will Fight, Crushed Egos, Preacher’s Daughter

December 9, 2014
Hearing Aide: The Disco Biscuits ‘The Classical Set’

The Disco Biscuits recently released a remastered recording of their 2003 performance at TranceMission music festival in Tennessee, one that has since been lovingly referred to as ‘the classical set’. This remastered recording is available on vinyl and for download and includes covers of classical pieces by composers such as Mozart and Tchaikovsky, as well as some Biscuits’ songs that are heavily influenced by classical music.

This recording is a perfect addition to a Disco Biscuits fans’ holiday wishlist, or for those of you who aren’t as familiar and want to see what this band is all about, this may be a good option for you.

The album starts off with Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” whose title sounds foreign but you would most likely be able to recognize by ear. The song starts off sounding like a day at the races, and is driven by Jon ‘Barber’ Gutwillig’s guitar whose riffs at some points makes you feel like you’re walking on a tightrope. This particular song by Mozart seems a good choice because it’s happy and fast paced, and demonstrate the Biscuits’ ability to successfully tackle a classical composition.

The next track is “The Devil’s Waltz”, which shines on this recording as an example of classical inspired Biscuits’ songs. “The Devil’s Waltz” starts out sounding like the introduction of a Russian wedding and unfurls itself into a dark jam in the middle, which is perhaps a nod to the song’s title. The song ends on a high note and as with many classical music pieces, it tells a story that can be interpreted differently by each listener.

From there they play a short and sweet but incredibly fast paced cover of “Sabre Dance”, originally by Aram Khatchaturian. Coming in at a little over two minutes long, “Sabre Dance” resembles a song that would be fit for a circus. A slightly whimsical sound, this song enables you to envision clown cars crashing into each other, or old jugglers tossing their wares high into the air.

“The Thieving Magpie” and “The Overture” are two songs that display the bands’ ability to connect with each other and develop a sophisticated sound. “The Thieving Magpie”, originally written by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, sounds like what an Eastern European military officer might listen to on his day off. Characterized by trilling notes on the guitar and piano, it is pretty and compelling. “The Overture”, which is the second classically inspired Biscuits’ song on this album is characterized by breakbeat jams and a complex layering of sounds, which is really what The Disco Biscuits do best. “The Overture” is really a quite beautiful song that starts out uplifting and then delves deeper down into a more electronic influence. Each member of the band truly coalesces and is instrumental in making the song work to garner your attention. The song ends with a definitively more classical feel, swooping the listener back into the light.

The album rounds itself off with two more classical covers, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Gries and “Waltz of the Flowers” by Tchaikovsky, where once again the Biscuits’ emboss their own style onto different classical pieces. Throughout the entirety of the album, The Disco Biscuits use the template of classical compositions to explore different areas of their sound. Whether you’re interested in listening to a new side of The Disco Biscuits you haven’t heard before, or wanting to hear new interpretations on old classics, The Classical Set demonstrates that The Disco Biscuits can stay true to the essence of their cover songs while sealing their own mark onto timeless compositions.

Key Tracks: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, The Devil’s Waltz, The Thieving Magpie

December 4, 2014
Hearing Aide: Eastbound Jesus ‘Ruff Stuff Nuff Said’

On Saturday December 6, Parish Public House and Guthrie Bell Productions will host the North Country Rock band known as Eastbound Jesus for the release of their fourth album, Ruff Stuff Nuff Said.

This is Eastbound Jesus’ first live album, recorded at Parish Public House back on January 31 and February 1, 2014, when it was still known as Red Square. They recorded over 40 songs from that weekend and picked the top 14 songs to create the fun loving, foot stomping Eastbound Jesus show experience.

Ruff Stuff Nuff Said was worth the wait for the crisp professional sound alone. Knowing firsthand how smothering the sound can be in Parish Public House, especially with more than a few enthusiastic fans, the album has a great balance of vocals, instruments and cheers. With a “take it or leave it” attitude, much like the musicians themselves, Ruff Stuff gives fair warning to listeners of the stripped honesty and raw energy of their live shows. The album starts with “I Wouldn’t Know”, a slow building melody that erupts with continuous peaks of banjo and guitar plucking with a mighty chorus, the foundation for most of their songs and it works every time.

Showcasing EBJ’s ability to convey their unique sound as well as a few crowd pleasing covers, one of the top tracks is the Grateful Dead’s “Turn on Your Lovelight” jam that grows out of “Don’t Use It Much” when joined by trombonist Bryan Brundige and keyboardist Tony Meier. You can actual feel the venue start to get dizzy with the ferocious melody. From soft country ballads to rebellious swamp rock, Ruff Stuff Nuff Said provides light to why it’s no wonder EBJ has such a dedicated, rowdy fanbase that can relate to their Upstate sound and everyday themed lyrics about the weather, drinking and authority.

Key Tracks: 54 Miles, Don’t Use It Much, Where The Winter Goes

Click here to read our review from the shows where Ruff Stuff Nuff Said was recorded.

Doors for the show on Saturday open at 8 with backwoods rockers Lucid set to kick off the night around 9. Tickets will be available at the door for $12 but you can secure yours today online for $10. Eastbound Jesus shows have a reputation for being sold out events, making this coming one no different. Red Square recently underwent a full upgrade to become Parish Public House, the same music venue we love with the addition of a full Louisiana eatery and drinkery. Their menu makes it a smart decision to get there early with items like the various po boys, alligator bites, gumbo, burgers and more Cajun delights. Eastbound Jesus has recently announced that they will be taking some time off for some desired studio time. So be sure to pick up your copy of Ruff Stuff Nuff Said to help you survive the winter and come out to the show this Saturday!

December 4, 2014
Hearing Aide: Soundgarden, ‘Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path’

Seattle hard rock outfit Soundgarden has graced a long and vivid music career. With six studio albums, several EP’s, a live album, and multiple soundtrack appearances spanning almost three decades, the long awaited b-sides collection Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path is guaranteed to please any Soundgarden fan, or any fan of hard rock and metal. This collection was unleashed November 24, and contains three discs of some of the best Soundgarden tracks you will ever hear. It contains ultra rare recordings that are damn near impossible to find, some tracks are familiar, some are so rare that they’re going to sound new.

And that’s the beauty of this collection.

The first disc contains eighteen original tracks, including two brand new recorded songs. The first track “Sub Pop Rock City” is an early recording from Soundgarden’s Sub Pop Records era, a very groovy Rolling Stones-like track. A very odd but rocking track. Then the album goes into “Toy Box,” off the ultra rare Flower EP. A very gloomy Sabbathy tune. Killer slow rifts from Kim Thayil with crazy and gloomy vocals from Chris Cornell. The next two tracks “Heretic” and “Fresh Deadly Roses” are more bizarre, both off of the Loudest Love EP , which has more distorted and screeching guitars from Thayil and Cornell screaming bloody murder. The album then goes into a groovy and fast track called “H.I.V. Baby” which was recorded live during Soundgarden’s early years and wound up as a b-side to “Room A Thousand Years Wide.” The quality isn’t the greatest, but it sounds dirty and distorted, but that’s the beauty of Soundgarden’s early work. Then we get a very heavy track called “Cold Bitch,” b-side to “Spoonman.” that Cornell wrote about an ex-lover.

The album switches gears a bit with the track “Show Me,” a track written by bassist Ben Shepherd before going into “She’s A Politician,” which is a very short track. Then we are graced with the heavy “Birth Ritual” which was off of the movie soundtrack “Singles.” This is easily one of the best tracks from this collection. Catchy rifts from Thayil, clutch drumming from Matt Cameron, and Cornell really bringing the best of his vocal range. The album takes another strange turn with the track “She Likes Surprises” which was originally off of Songs From Superunknown EP. Then it gets heavy again with “Kyle Petty, Son Of Richard” and “Exit Stonehenge” Both tracks are very heavy but strange, can’t help the fact that they’re catchy, “Kyle Petty, Son Of Richard” may be stuck in your head for days after listening to it thanks to some of best guitar work from Thayil. Gloominess sinks again with “Blind Dogs.” This one is pretty much a stoner track because it’s slow and trippy. “Bleed Together” which was off the best-of compilation A-Sides, was a track that was originally supposed to appear on Down On The Upside but never made the cut, anyone familiar with that album will have a good idea on how that track sounds like and makes you wonder how on earth this song didn’t make the cut at the time.

“Black Rain” graces this album as well, which was first released off the retrospective album Telephantasm, but was originally supposed to be on Badmotorfinger. Another track that makes you scratch your head and wonder why it never made the original album. It’s a heavy track that has Cornell screaming his best vocals. “Live To Rise”, made famous from The Avengers movie soundtrack, finally gracing a Soundgarden album. This one is probably the only radio-friendly song on this collection. Finally, the album closes with two brand new recorded tracks starting with “Kristi.” This song really put a smile on my face. It’s Soundgarden going back to the heaviness that was Badmotorfinger. A catchy song with the slow, heavy, down-tuned guitar rifts from Thayil. It’s been so long since we heard Soundgarden go this heavy. Although I enjoyed 2012’s King Animal, it didn’t have that really heavy old school Soundgarden sound. “Kristi” does just that. Disc one closes with the brand new track “Storm,” this track combines the sound of the Ultramega OK and Superunknown, which is a really clever way to close this part of the collection.

The second disc contains covers recorded over Soundgarden’s entire career. The first track is “Swallow My Pride” which is a fellow Seattle band Green River cover originally off of the Fopp EP. A really fun track to listen to start this album. “Smokestack Lightnin’”, a Howlin’ Wolf cover, was originally recorded on Soundgarden’s first full length album Ultramega OK. Then we get one of two Beatles covers on this disc starting with “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide (Except Me and My Monkey)” this is where Soundgarden really shines, because all four members said that The Beatles were one of their main influences. The album continues with another brilliant cover with Sly And The Family Stone’s “Thank U”, a heavier and more obscure take on this song.

Right after that, we get the second Beatles cover with “Come Together”, the best version of this song you will ever hear – slow, heavy, and distorted. Clearly Soundgarden are experts at deviating cover songs. Then they managed to cover The Rolling Stones’ “Stray Cat Blues,” a cool cover, but doesn’t stand out like the other covers. The next cover is easily best one, Soundgarden covers Black Sabbath’s “Into The Void” but they change the lyrics from the song with lyrics about Chief Sealth, a historic Native American that lived in the Seattle region in the 1800’s. A brilliant take on this song. Thayil does a wonderful job replicating Tony Iommi’s iconic rifts and solo’s while Cornell does such a great take on Ozzy Osbourne. Nothing can beat this.

Soundgarden then pays tribute to Devo with an excellent cover of “Girl U Want”; any fan of Devo will appreciate this cover. Soundgarden pays tribute to The Doors with two tracks on this disc starting with “Touch Me” with Stephanie Barber, who is a friend of the band sang on this song with Cornell. This may be the only recording where we hear Cornell partake in a duet. Soundgarden manages to cover Jimi Hendirx’s “Can You See Me” on the next track. Hearing Thayil’s take on Jimi Hendrix’s guitar solos is absolutely fascinating. Then we get a cover of Budgie’s “Homicidal Suicidal,” a really slow and sludgie song. Clearly this band was an influence on Soundgarden which is why they must of decided to cover this song. Soundgarden pays tribute to seventies punk with the next two tracks starting with a cover of The Ramones’ “I Can’t Give You Anything” and Fear’s “I Don’t Care About You.” Both are fun tracks to listen to, especially if you’re a fan of that era. We get the other Doors cover on the next track with “Waiting For The Sun” with a live recording of it, originally on 2011’s expanded version of Live on I-5. A slow and really heavy version of this song.

Then we get another cover from that same album with a cover of The Stooges “Search And Destroy” Again, its heavy, but this one is faster than the last cover. Soundgarden puts out the third consecutive live cover, but this time, they go extremely out of the band’s character by covering Spinal Tap’s “Big Bottom.” It’s amusing, but it contains punishing guitars, a real treat to listen to. Finally the album closes with yet another out of character cover, this time, Soundgarden covers Cheech & Chong’s “Earache My Eye.” This one is recorded live as well, and holy cow is it funny to listen too. It’s nice to see Soundgarden who is really known as a serious band show off their sense of humor on this album. I would say that the covers are the main reason to purchase this album.

The third disc contains fifteen oddities. Including remixes and instrumentals plus two brand new tracks. The album kicks off with “Twin Tower,” a brand new instrumental tune. This tune has Thayil’s guitar work front and center along with some powerful drumming from Cameron. The next track is another instrumental tune “Jerry Garcia’s Finger” which was the b-side to “Pretty Noose.” This track is kind of pointless. I think the band threw this in as a joke. The album segways with another strange instrumental tune “Ghostmotorfinger,” which is just sound of a motorcycle looping, again pointless, unless you’re really stoned off your ass. (giggles) Then we get another brand new unreleased instrumental track called “Night Surf.” This one is a bit haunting, nothing spectacular but a nice change of pace from the previous two tracks. The next track “A Splice Of Space Jam,” yet another instrumental similar the previous track, was a b-side to “Blow Up The Outside World,” again, nothing spectacular. Finally , we get an excellent instrumental tune “The Telephantasm” which was recorded during the Fopp era of Soundgarden. This one is groovy and fun to listen to, miles above the other instrumentals.

A full blown song with “Black Days III” which is off the 20^th anniversary of Superunknown. This is the third version of the song “Fell On Black Days.” It’s an awesome take on the song with more down tuned guitars and Cornell screaming more than singing. Now you get a sense the album is picking up more. Then the b-side to song “Burden In My Hand” called “Karaoke” kicks in, this is a cool track with some fine drumming from Cameron and strange lyrics from Cornell. Next is “Fopp (Fucked Up Heavy Dub Mix)” off of the Fopp EP. I absolutely love this track. It contains clips of Godzilla: King Of The Monsters in it, including that famous roar, and the speech from Raymond Burr’s character. This song has a place in my heart due to my love for kaiju films. Then the album kicks into a remix of “Big Dumb Sex.” This is one of my favorite songs of Louder Than Love but it’s a whole different but interesting take on it. It’s definitely worth a listen to it. This was the b-side to “Loud Love.” After that, the album goes into a really crazy version of the classic “Spoonman,” this version is more a trippy hip hop remix of it, and it also includes more Godzilla roars. Soundgarden must be a huge fan of Godzilla. Next, we get a very cleaver remix of “Rhinosaur” which was the b-side to “Ty Cobb” I really like how they produced Cornell’s voice and remixed Thayil’s guitar track. Excellent production on this track. That trend continues into the next track with the remix of “Dusty.” They made it softer and gloomier, but again, the production is excellent. The album wraps things up with a remix of “The Telephantasm” before going into the pointless track “One Minute Of Silence” (which exactly what it is). Calling this disc full of oddities is definitely true. No other way to put it. Some tracks are pointless, but contains so awesome remixes.

Overall, this is a fantastic and must own album. It’s a tad bit pricey due to the fact that it is three discs of material, but its brilliant and takes you on a journey showcasing the true talent of Soundgarden, showing that their b-sides, covers, and rare tracks are still boss over 99% of music that is out there right now. I’m glad Soundgarden took the time to dig deep and release these songs in a compilation, because they’re damn near impossible to find. Invest your money, and invest your ears to this album, you will be happy that you did.

You can purchase Soundgarden’s Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgWS6DkogV0?list=PLLzn6aYLx2LWcxyRhZWHAqOYX1S447q8F

Key Tracks:

Disc One: H.I.V. Baby, Birth Ritual, Kristi

Disc Two: Thank You, Come Together, Into The Void

Disc Three: The Telephantasm, Black Days III, Fopp (Fucked Up Heavy Dub Mix)

December 3, 2014
Hearing Aide: Ariel Pink, “pom pom”

After his controversial interview with The Guardian, ageist views of Madonna, and constant struggle with fitting into the indie rock music sphere, Ariel Pink sets out to release all his grudges on his new album, pom pom.

In this new 17 track album, Pink encourages us to “keep your eyes on the dream, in the theater of endless reform” and as always, “don’t forget to show your stripes.”

Pink has surely not had any difficulty showing his stripes, after being signed to Paw Tracks as a solo artist early in his career. After releasing several successful self-made recordings, he was then signed to 4AD with his experimental backing group, known as “Haunted Graffiti.”

Going back to his solo roots in pom pom, Pink expands the boundaries of experimental indie by influencing 80’s pop, prog rock, and a bit of glam rock, which I could see in a sequel of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

For those who enjoy standard meters and catchy choruses, songs like “White Freckles” and “One Summer Night” have been taking music blogging sites by storm, and for a good reason. As an 80’s buff myself, tracks like “Lipstick,” “Four Shadows” and “Picture Me Gone” provide the perfect soundtrack to pop into your cassette player.

For less conventional individuals, songs like “Dinosaur Carebears,” “Black Ballerina” and “Plastic Raincoats in the Pig Parade” have a very odd sound to match their song title names. With the additions of sound effects and constant key and meter changes, these songs are certainly like candy for the musical ear.

While Pink doesn’t perform live as often, he will make one stop in NYC on February 25th at Terminal 5 before undergoing a European tour. Until then, make sure you follow his Facebook and Twitter, and check out the video for his top track from the album, entitled Put Your Number In My Phone.

Key Tracks: Put Your Number In My Phone, Picture Me Gone, Black Ballerina

December 2, 2014
Hearing Aide: King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard ‘I’m In Your Mind Fuzz’

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is a name you are going to be hearing a lot of in the near future. Their latest album I’m In Your Mind Fuzz is out now and is a 42 minute psychedelic journey of proportions not seen in many years. All ten tracks seep right into one another without letting you catch your breath for more than a second, if you are even given a second. All seven members of the band meld into a beautiful creation on I’m In Your Mind Fuzz with no one member sticking out, making it a true group effort.

Although the band hails from Australia, they recorded much of the record at Daptone Studios in Brooklyn and in Hunter Mountain, New York. When I spoke to the band at a recent show in New York during their time here for the CMJ festival, they loved being in New York and recording in two different parts of the state. They especially liked Upstate New York and the openness of it all compared to New York City. The spaciness in parts of the record can most likely be attributed to the wide open land of Hunter Mountain.

The first four tracks come at you like a bullet. These 13 minutes are some of the tightest on the record and feel like one straight thought that the band decided to break up and name four separate things. Right off the bat the drums and distorted guitars of “I’m In You Mind” get your head moving along. Once the fuzzy vocals and harmonica come into the picture, you’re already hooked. The four tracks are straight out of the psychedelic sounds of bands like The 13th Floor Elevators. The music continues that way through the last seconds of “I’m In Your Mind Fuzz” before transitioning into “Empty” which slows down the proceedings slightly, but not enough for you to want to stop bopping along with what the Australians are producing for your ears and mind to take in.

The next highlight on the album is “Hot Water” that sounds as if it could be a Jethro Tull outtake, from the flute to the vocal delivery it is a spot on tribute to the great band. A brief respite of the beginning 40 seconds of “Am I In Heaven” gives you one more moment to catch your breath before the full punk and psychedelic sounds roar right back into your mind. “Slow Jam 1” and “Satan Speeds Up” bring the album to a slowed down dream like state. Beautiful vocal work and otherworldly effects on the guitar shine of these two tracks before the closing eight minute epic of “Her & I (Slow Jam II) bring it all home for the record. The band is at their most classic rock moment with this song, giving a performance reminiscent of The Doors or a jam from early Santana, and gives the listener a sense of accomplishment of completing the record on such a high note after everything that has been thrown at them.

King Gizzard picked the perfect name for this album as you feel in the beginning as if you are losing your mind with the sounds that are coming at you at such a rapid pace. As the record goes on though you go into a fuzz, along with the band, as you have no idea what will be thrown at you next. To have the band end the album with such a long track that could be played on any radio station in the world, despite it’s length, shows how confident this band is in their music. Run to your nearest record store, or your I-Tunes account, and get this album immediately and hope the band comes back to the states to play some live shows again soon, they are not to be missed.

Key Tracks: I’m In Your Mind, Cellophane, Her & I (Slow Jam II)

November 25, 2014
Hearing Aide: Big Ol Dirty Bucket: Bucket Express

One of the best things to recently come out of the Boston area is not surprisingly big, loud and dirty. The 10 piece funk band, Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has come out with a new album, Bucket Express, a collection of modern day noise with a vintage soul that everyone can get down to. The 10 track album features songs with strong vocals alongside 70’s funk and soul melodies with a dash of Latin and hip hop, making it the ideal album for any social gathering. The album features members from Parliament Funkadelic, Fishbone and Galactic, who were big influences on BODB from day one.

The album starts with the booming funk of the brass section and ear grabbing vocals by Sarah ‘Lil Shrimp’ Seminski on “Mr. Boom Boom” with classic rock n roll guitar riffs and rhythm that instantly set the bar high for the rest of the album. “Real MC” features stand out back to back solos from each brass section for a jazz infused flavor with organ chilling chords as spitting fluid vocal work starts for a modern hip hop twist. “Miz Green” brings out the funk with heavy bass notes, electronic beat bops and the sensual and powerful stylings of Seminski. The album’s title song, “Bucket Express”, gives great representation of the group with the rhythm of a locomotive that builds up the energy with hip hop melodies and spotlight work on each instrument for a funk free for all. “Boss Hogg” squeezes the juice out of that organ and serious guitar shredding proves that they are their own boss. “Can’t Get No Release” has harmonious vocals singing powerful lyrics of growth with the band providing crescendo after crescendo of soul.

The romance starts to heat up on “Get To Know You Better” with dreamy key work, hot drum work and straight forward lyrics of passion. “Fine Fly Woman” has frequent buildups with fast strumming that gets those hips swinging. The album starts to wind down with its last two tracks as “Central Ave Blues” with a big city, back alley night club kinda feel. “Vidalia” is a serious slow groove in comparison to the rest of the heart racing tracks but it stretches out Seminski’s gorgeous vocal range, making it the perfect come down to the album.

Bucket Express is easy to have on repeat and helps to forget the weight of the world with the heavy funk. Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has an unmistakable ear for creating a fresh fusion of sound that appeals to generations across the spectrum as each track is a stand-alone piece of delight and surprise. After this past Halloween, keyboardist Brett Badolato and singer Sarah Seminski have parted ways with the band but The Bucket shall continue on with their journey of funk. There will be some big shoes to fill for sure but we hope that the Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket finds themselves somewhere in Upstate NY for the new year ahead.

Key Tracks: Bucket Express, Can’t Get No Release, Vidalia

Bucket Express is available for free streaming on Soundcloud as well as clicking here for their website plus live performances too.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/168292702″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

November 24, 2014
Hearing Aide: In This Moment ‘Black Widow’

In This Moment has come a long way in their colorful music career. On November 18, Black Widow, the band’s fifth studio effort will be released. Each album from 2007’s debut Beautiful Tragedy, to their breakthrough 2012 album Blood have all been very different from one another. So what direction did Black Widow take?

The album starts off with a short little intro track called “The Infection” then goes into the recently released single “Sex Metal Barbie.” This track is a very awkward track. The combination of riffs, popish-like sound, dubstep beats, and silly lyrics do not blend well at all. It’s hard to grasp to hear In This Moment release this kind of sound. When Blood was released, the combination of Metal and Dubstep was done very well. On “Sex Metal Barbie” it doesn’t work. Producer Kevin Churko did not do a good job with this track at all.

The next track “Big Bad Wolf” is great track. It has a heavy, Nu Metal sound to it. This is definitely a track that finally got me hooked on this album. This has frontwoman Maria Brink going back to the more angry, heartfelt vocals we used to. And “Dirty Pretty” is a decent track.

The title track “Black Widow” again goes back to the similar poppy overproduced sound that “Sex Metal Barbie” had. It’s a shame. Maria Brink is just oozing with talent, her vocals shouldn’t have to be produced at all. Makes you miss her raw singing and screaming vocals on Beautiful Tragedy.

Brent Smith of Shinedown makes a guest appearance on the track “Sexual Hallucination” Hearing them sing together is absolutely mesmerizing, so another high point on this album. It has a pop beat to it still, but the vocals of Maria Brink and Brent Smith mesh so well that it doesn’t matter.

Lead single “Sick Like Me” is a pretty solid track. One of the heavier tracks of the album, this track reminds us how talented In This Moment is when the band is clicking on all cylinders. “Blood Creature Poster Girl” is a charming track as well.

“The Fighter” is an absolutely beautiful track. It features Maria Brink using her powerful voice over piano and string arrangements. Definitely the best track. It takes you back to the days of 2008’s The Dream.

The album continues with some good tracks with “Bones” and “Natural Born Sinner” then it segues with “Into The Darkness” which serves as an intro to another great piano ballad “Out Of Hell.” At the end, Black Widow finishes heavy with “Turn You” before closing track “Rib Cage” kicks in to end it on a high note.

Overall, the album has some very low points from the band. It’s clear in some tracks they’re trying to move toward a more poppy sound. It is also disappointing that there are no guitar solos from Chris Howorth. Chris is a brilliant guitarist and a hell of a song writer. It’s a damn shame this album did not highlight his talent more. However, it is still an, In This Moment album, and there are some fantastic songs mixed into the album. So it seems lop-sided. It’s a blend of great songs and some head scratching songs mixed throughout the album. That falls clearly on producer Kevin Churko and the band making the switch from Century Media Records (who have been a staple of some great metal bands) to the mainstream Atlantic Records may have played a key role in the output of the sound of Black Widow. Moving forward it will be nice to see the song writing process return solely to Maria Brink and Chris Howorth like it was during the time of their earlier albums and away from Kevin Churko. People who are expecting the old In This Moment sound will be in for quite a shock when listening to this album. Even people who are expecting Blood Part 2 may have their hopes too high. But nonetheless, a fair album from In This Moment which would make this easily the weakest entry. This album could have done so much better if you take out some of the “pop” tracks that are infused in it. Take those out, and you have a solid album.

You can purchase the album here.

Key Tracks: Big Bad Wolf, Sexual Hallucination, The Fighter

November 19, 2014
Hearing Aide: LIVE ‘The Turn’

After a contentious break-up in 2009, a two-year hiatus (through 2011), a skeptically received announcement about a new lead singer (in 2012), and then another two years waiting for new music, LIVE has finally delivered a new album. Officially released on October 28, The Turn contains almost 50 minutes of sound that’s similar enough to old-school LIVE to satisfy the faithful, but with an edge that’s sure to win over new fans.

LIVE’s signature sound in the 1990s was a unique blend of spiritually inspired lyrics with alternative rock sound. Now, focusing less on the faith, love, and water that seem to constantly flow through the old albums, The Turn digs up a darker, harder twist — and also includes a few references to fire. “Siren’s Call,” focusing on the torment of losing oneself to another, seems to be in direct opposition to “Dance with You” (1999) which presents getting lost in love as a graceful experience.

The harder side of LIVE isn’t necessarily a new thing; earlier songs such as “White, Discussion” from Throwing Copper (1994) or “Lakini’s Juice” from Secret Samadhi (1997) both have a darker feel with a sound best described as “hollow.” Songs from The Turn, such as “6310 Rodgerton Dr” could be seen as progressions of those earlier sounds.

The lengthy delay following the departure of original frontman, Ed Kowalczyk, and the addition of Chris Schinn allowed time to thoughtfully redefine LIVE. The time was well spent. The Turn presents a good balance between LIVE’s original personality and the new chemistry produced by Schinn, Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, and Chad Gracey, the other founding members of the group.

Offering up 11 tracks, The Turn is a great comeback album. “Natural Born Killers” in particular tells a good story; “The Way Around Is Through” offers good advice and “The Strength to Hold On” will hopefully someday be performed by LIVE with the support of an orchestra.

Key Tracks: Natural Born Killers, The Way Around Is Through, The Strength to Hold On

November 18, 2014