Music Discovery Machine

We've moved!

2012-01-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

We've decided that while we'd like to continue sharing music with you, We can no longer continue using Blogger, so we're now on Wordpress!

Check our new page out, and watch for new posts every week!

I apologize for not posting lately

2011-11-03T17:49:00.001-07:00

I received a lot of what I thought were just DMCA requests where my files were taken offline. Instead, they were DMCA notifications where the whole post is deleted.

Losing count of what is missing, plus I'm unable to see anything more than the title of these posts.

News From The Machine for 10-23-11

2011-10-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Zoey Deschanel is recording a Christmas album

Chris Martin of Coldplay calls their lyrics "a bit shit"

The Zombies are going on a 50th Anniversary Tour

A list of the worst acting done by musicians

Soulja Boy arrested on Drug and Weapons charges

Ace Frehley/Frehley's Comet (1987)

2011-10-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

Not much really to say about this one. This is Ace's second solo release, but first on his own, technically. All 4 members of KISS released a solo album underneath the name of KISS, but this is Ace's first album outside of KISS. It's solid rock and roll from the 80's. The guitar work is great, considering that's what Ace is known for. Vocals are pretty solid, and the rest of the band is competent. The keyboards definitely make it an 80's album. You'll know from one song if you'll like Ace's solo work or not. My favorite tracks are Into The Night, Rock Soldiers, Breakout and Calling to You.

Tracklist
1. Rock Soldiers
2. Breakout
3. Into The Night
4. Something Moved
5. We Got Your Rock
6. Love Me Right
7. Calling to You
8. Dolls
9. Stranger In A Strange Land
10. Fractured Too

Download

News From The Machine for 10-16-11

2011-10-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to News From The Machine. Here's what I found interesting this week:

The keyboardist for the Charlie Daniels Band is killed in a car wreck

Slate names The Strokes album Is This It the best album of the last decade

Axl Rose got faaaaaaaaaaaat

Former Weezer bass player found dead in Chicago

Mike Patton is going to release an album all about prime numbers

That's it for today, enjoy the rest of the weekend!

News From The Machine is coming back!

2011-10-12T17:22:00.001-07:00

I'm happy to announce that starting this Sunday, my weekly Sunday feature News From The Machine will be back. For those of you who have started reading after I stopped doing it, News From The Machine is a post I did every Sunday that culminated links about the top stories in music for the week. So now, starting this Sunday, every Sunday I will have a News From The Machine post bringing you readers out there the music news I find important each week.

I am very excited to be bringing this back, I tell you what.

Anthony Lee Phillips - Letters From Sunniva (2011)

2011-09-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from chillasaur:

Do you find yourself craving the acoustic sound, but with the lyrics of a 2007 post-hardcore band? Well then I must say you have stumbled into gold. Anthony Lee Phillips debut album "Letters From Sunniva" is just that. These songs sound like the love child of William Fitzsimmons and Andrew Jackson Jihad. Though the album has a slow start, it really picks up a few songs in with, "The End of Patience". One can really sense the emotion in his voice and lyrics, as he copes with a struggling relationship. Though the content is very straight forward, meaning you wont have to dig too deep to figure out the song, the lyrics are fantastically written. With this being his first full album, I can say his music shows promise. This is one act to keep tabs on.

Tracklist
1. Curtain Call
2. Whirlpools (And The Turbulence Which They Imply)
3. Our Morning
4. The End Of Patience
5. Sapphire & Grace
6. (The Romance Between) Clowns & Understudies
7. Second Person Stillframe
8. (This Is What I Call) Moving On
9. Happiness
10. Headphones
11. Letters From Earth

free listening at bandcamp

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://anthonyleephillips.bandcamp.com/track/this-is-what-i-call-moving-on"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;(This Is What I Call) Moving On by Anthony Lee Phillips&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

And remember, if you like it, please buy it!

Grim Reaper/See You In Hell (1984)

2011-09-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Let's get this out of the way right now. If you don't like the 80's metal scene, this album isn't for you. Grim Reaper is a British Heavy Metal band that is a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene. This entails raging dual guitars, falsetto vocals, and talk of demons. See You In Hell is Grim Reaper's debut album, and it's an amazingly tight piece of work. The band had been together nearly a decade before they released See You In Hell, and you can tell. The 8 songs are solid tight entries. Fist pumping/headbanging/devil horns throwing is nearly a requirement for this album. It opens up with the rip-roaring See You In Hell, and if that song doesn't sell you on the album, you have no business even listening to the rest of it. The only song I believe doesn't really stand-up is The Show Must Go On, a power ballad. But you have to remember, this was the 80's, it was commonplace to have a power ballad shoved somewhere into an otherwise solid album. The other 7 tracks are just more of the same awesome. Now Or Never and All Hell Let Loose are two of my favorites, along with the title track. If you want to know what the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene was all about, look no further.

Tracklist

See You in Hell
Dead on Arrival
Liar
Wrath of the Ripper
Now or Never
Run for Your Life
The Show Must Go On
All Hell Let Loose

Download

Dio/Holy Diver (1983)

2011-07-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

A quintessential album for lovers of tried and true metal. Ronnie James Dio splashed onto the scene with his first solo album in '83, after having already been in music for nearly 30 years! Holy Diver is a pretty solid album, with Gypsy being the only track I could do without, and even then it's stellar. 9 tracks of some of the most epic lyrics written by one of metal's shortest men. The album opens with the ripper Stand Up and Shout, which is pretty much all you need to start headbanging. That leads right into Holy Diver, one of Dio's most beloved tracks. The second side (I listen to this mostly on cassette tape in my car or vinyl at home, so I refer to sides) is nearly non-stop rocking. Straight Through The Heart is just classic Dio. Invisible opens with a 1 minute intro that turns into a stomping good time, and then comes the classic Rainbow In the Dark, continuing the tradition of awesome Dio songs that have really weird metaphors that I don't understand but still feel are awesome. Then to close out the album you have Shame On The Night, a Doom-y, Sabbath-esq track. And then when it's all over, you can start back up again with Stand Up And Shout and get pumped all over.

Tracklist
1. Stand Up And Shout
2. Holy Diver
3. Gypsy
4. Caught In The Middle
5. Don't Talk To Strangers
6. Straight Through The Heart
7. Invisible
8. Rainbow In The Dark
9. Shame On The Night

Download

Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell

2011-07-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

To say this album is by Anaïs Mitchell is a formality; this is a folk opera in the truest sense of the term. With additional arrangements and orchestrations by Michael Chorney, staging by Ben T. Matchstick, and production done by Todd Sickafoose, and a different singer to play each character in the album, this record caught me completely off guard in its attention to detail, it's ability to portray a classic (and beloved, to say the least) Greek myth, and its ability to transport you to another place entirely.

Set in post apocalyptic, depression-era America, Hadestown is a unique interpretation of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus (played by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver) is a poor poet and musician to be married to be Eurydice (played by songwriter Anaïs Mitchell). We also meet Hades, boss of the remarkably capitalist Hadestown (played by Greg Brown), his wife Persephone, who runs a speakeasy behind her husband's back (played by Ani DiFranco), Hermes, who gives Orpheus directions to Hadestown after she leaves him for a life of riches (played by Ben Knox), and The Fates, who find justification in keeping Orpheus and Eurydice apart (played by the Haden Triplets).

I have linked the official website, which includes a very thorough (and official) plot synopsis, as well as a complete libretto and the detailed information on the singers I have failed to research as of yet, including official band websites and bios.

Enjoy!

1. Wedding Song - Eurydice, Orpheus

2. Epic (Part I) - Orpheus

3. Way Down Hadestown - Hermes, Persephone, Eurydice, Orpheus, The Fates, Ensemble

4. Songbird Intro

5. Hey, Little Songbird - Hades, Eurydice

6. Gone, I'm Gone - Eurydice

7. When The Chips Are Down - The Fates

8. Wait For Me - Hermes, Orpheus

9. Why We Build The Wall - Hades, Ensemble

10. Our Lady Of The Underground - Persephone, Ensemble

11. Flowers (Eurydice's Song) - Eurydice

12. Nothing Changes - The Fates

13. If It's True - Orpheus

14. Papers (Hades Finds Out)

15. How Long? - Persephone, Hades

16. Epic (Part II) - Orpheus

17. Lover's Desire

18. His Kiss, The Riot - Hades

19. Doubt Comes In - Orpheus, The Fates, Eurydice

20. I Raise My Cup To Him - Persephone, Eurydice

http://www.mediafire.com/?tpfkp6c8x9twevr

http://anaismitchell.com/home.html

School Of Fish - School Of Fish (1991)

2011-06-24T00:07:00.000-07:00

blackcoffeeaddict transmitting from the cardboard box:

A few years back, I was given this CD by a friend of mine who was cleaning out his music collection. It looked interesting, so I went ahead and picked it up. I listened to it and it immediately became one of my favorite albums. The three-song suite that kicks off the album is well-composed, and like every song on the album, it communicates a feeling as much as it communicates a story. "Three Strange Days," "King Of The Dollar," and "Fell" are probably my favorite songs, but the whole album is a cohesive sound and a neat experience.

The band was only around for about 5 years, and only released two albums, making this a rather rare find, and I feel like it's something of a privilege to share it with you all.

I love this album because of the guitar textures, the well thought-out lyrical composition, and the overall feel of the band/album. It's always worth a listen.

1. Intro

2. 3 Strange Days

3. Talk Like Strangers

4. Deep End

5. King Of The Dollar

6. Speechless

7. Wrong

8. Rose Colored Glasses

9. Under The Microscope

10. Fell

11. Euphoria

Download

Natalia Kills/Perfectionist (2011)

2011-05-10T15:28:00.001-07:00

This is what I consider to be Pop perfection. The major label debut from british sensation Natalia Kills. Originally a child actor, Natalia has been around the scene for a few years and has bounced around various projects (including a stint as a female rapper ala Lady Sovereign) until she finally caught everybody's attention. Perfectionist is a Dark Electro tinged slice of Pop goodness. Hard hitting synths, drums and bass combine together with Natalia's silky voice, which carries quite a vocabulary. Kills is signed to the same label that produced Lady GaGa, and as such you can hear some similarities in style, including a hint of the same cadence and the unavoidable use of some of the same producers. What makes her stand out though is her unique voice. Her actual voice is smooth, silky and sweet. Her lyrics involve words or phrases that you wouldn't expect to find in a pop song. In addition to being different, it can also be eloquent. She's a breathe of fresh air in the ever-growing sea of female pop sensations. A little quirk I find enjoyable is her tendency to throw in 3-4 word chants throughout a bunch of her songs, creating a secondary hook almost. For example, the song Break You Hard has an underlying chant of "Lipstick, lies, tears, tragedy." My favorite songs on the album are Wonderland, Break You Hard, Zombie, Mirrors, and Nothing Lasts Forever.

Tracklist
1. Perfection
2. Wonderland
3. Free
4. Break You Hard
5. Zombie
6. Love Is A Suicide
7. Mirrors
8. Not In Love
9. Acid Annie
10. Superficial
11. Broke
12. Heaven
13. Nothing Lasts Forever
14. If I Was God

Myspace

Download

Jeremy Messersmith - The Reluctant Graveyard

2011-05-08T15:45:00.001-07:00

blackcoffeeaddict checks in with a package from the guitar case:

The other day, a friend of mine sent me a link to a Bandcamp page. The artist was Jeremy Messersmith, the album was The Reluctant Graveyard. I listened to a couple songs and liked it, so I listened to the whole album on Bandcamp, and I liked them all, so I bought the album. To tell a long story concisely, I must say that I love this album. I bought it as a digital download and I intend to buy the vinyl of it soon - that's how much I like it.

Messersmith takes the guitar sounds of the '60s and '70s and tosses them up against a nice, slick acoustic guitar. Tasteful, effective string arrangements are sprinkled throughout the album. The vocals are bathed in reverb as the vocals become more emotional. The drums give their two cents on a few of the tracks. The album has a kind of Beatles-esque feel, but at the same time it is fully it's own entity, never a sound-alike.

"Dillinger Eyes" and "Organ Donor" are my two favorite tracks. "Dillinger Eyes" is a fun, fast story about a man and his misadventures, all because he was "born with John Dillinger's eyes." "Organ Donor" is a happy, morbid, surf-style tune about death and embalming. "Toussaint, Grey, First In Life And Death" is a slightly sad, almost nostalgic song with some good vocal harmonies. "Tomorrow," the closer to the album, is about taking advantage of now because some things "just can't wait until tomorrow."

Overall, the record is slightly front-loaded in terms of volume and tempo, with the fast, upbeat songs - namely, "Lazy Bones" and "Dillinger Eyes" - at the beginning, and the laid-back, emotional songs making up the tail end. At the same time, the album is not too heavy. It will make a solid addition to anyone's music library.

If you download and enjoy the album, I encourage you all to buy it on Bandcamp or at his website. Messersmith is an independent artist in Minneapolis, and the music is well-worth paying for.

1. Lazy Bones

2. Dillinger Eyes

3. Organ Donor

4. Toussaint, Grey, First In Life And Death

5. Violet!

6. Knots

7. John The Determinist

8. A Girl, A Boy, And A Graveyard

9. Repo Man

10. Deathbed Salesman

11. Tomorrow

Download

Tool - Lateralus

2011-05-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Blackcoffeeaddict looking up from the nearest reaches of outer space:

Released in May 2001, Lateralus is arguably the band's most heady album. Combining wild, dysphoric beats with Maynard James Keenan's philosophical ponderings on life and the nature of the universe, it is not an album for the faint of heart.

There are albums that are for relaxed, laid back listening, something to hear when you don't want to think to much. This is not one of those albums. This album is like entering your mind into a gladiator's match. This is an album that you listen to when you want to think a lot. It requires your full focus and attention to hear properly. Turn it up real loud and start from the beginning.

If you can't muster the internal fortitude to listen to the whole album, the three-song combination of Schism, Parabole, and Parabola is the centerpiece of the record, and a must-listen. Lateralus and The Grudge are my other personal favorites, but the whole album is just amazing.

It is not an album that could be described as "refreshing," nor is it "nice" or "pleasant." Lateralus is a journey into the intense inner workings of the mind.

It sounds intense now, but the experience is worth it. So set aside 80 minutes of your time and listen to this record ASAP.

1. The Grudge

2. Eon Blue Apocalypse

3. The Patient

4. Mantra

5. Schism

6. Parabole

7. Parabola

8. Ticks & Leeches

9. Lateralus

10. Disposition

11. Reflection

12. Triad

13. Faaip De Oiad

Download

For more artwork, lyrics, and all else Tool, visit http://toolshed.down.net/

1024mb/Gigabyte (2010)

2011-04-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Gigabyte is a homegrown electronic act, with the man behind the numbers being The UK's Leslie Wai, known for being a guitar nerd all over youtube. Gigabyte is an album that fuses Electro, House, Breakbeat and technical know-how into a computer themed album. It's fun, catchy and is full of layered performances. Glitch is the stand-out track from the album, and it's multitude of layers for such a simplistic basis for a song make it the perfect track for this kind of music. It's fun, but also has a level of skill behind it.

Tracklist

01. Start Up
02. Computer Engaged
03. Glitch
04. The Memory
05. RAM
06. Old Unit
07. Ghz
08. Rogue Trojan
09. Crash_Restart
10. Shutdown
11. Distant Concept

Download

Darkest Hour/The Human Romance (2011)

2011-03-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Human Romance is the latest effort from this East Coast American Melodic Death Metal band. While Darkest Hour are still taking pages out of the books of At The Gates and Dark Tranquility, they are doing a great job of making it their own, and making it quality. Fist-pumping riffs, beat blasting drums, and scream-til-you're-hoarse vocals mix fill out this 12 track album. While they have the aggression and riffage to rouse the pit, they also make a few emotional, beautiful turns that really even out the album. The pulsating, charging Man & Swine and Your Everyday Disaster are great but expected fare, while Love as a Weapon and especially Terra Solaris (an 8 1/2 minute instrumental) are unexpectedly full of emotion, and at times, beautiful. While nearly all of Darkest Hour's catalog is a solid, even affair, The Human Romance would be a great entry point for new fans.

Tracklist
1. Terra Nocturnus
2. The World Engulfed In Flames
3. Savior The Kill
4. Man & Swine
5. Love as a Weapon
6. Your Everyday Disaster
7. Violent By Nature
8. Purgatory
9. Severed into Separates
10. Would
11. Terra Solaris
12. Beyond the Life You Know

Download
pass = mdm

The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love

2011-03-20T00:44:00.000-07:00

blackcoffeeaddict checking in with a missive from 20,000 leagues under the sea:

The Decemberists are what you might characterize as an indie-progressive-rock band, but that only kind of describes this album. If you're looking for a reference, I would put this somewhere in between Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Who's Tommy. It's the first real modern rock opera that I've heard. Sure, some of you will argue for Green Day's American Idiot being a rock opera. To those who will argue that I say: American Idiot was intended as a rock opera, but comes out more like a concept album rather than something that actually has a storyline. I listened to that album dozens of times when it came out, but I had to be told that there was congruity between every song throughout the album. Meanwhile, The Hazards Of Love has all the elements you could want from an opera: unintelligible lyrics sung by different vocalists and a "choir" of backup singers.

Ok, maybe those aren't the elements of a rock opera, per se, but my point is that I consider this to be a true modern rock opera. The lyrics booklet is included in the download, because it's a necessity when it comes to understanding the story, along with containing some pretty cool art. It's worth a listen (and a read), if only because it's a good story told by great storytellers.

1. Prelude

2. The Hazards of Love I (The Whistles Won't Wrestle The Thistles Undone)

3. A Bower Scene

4. Won't Want For Love (Margaret in The Taiga)

5. The Hazards of Love II (Wager All)

6. The Queen's Approach

7. Isn't It A Lovely Night?

8. The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid

9. An Interlude

10. The Rake's Song

11. The Abduction of Margaret

12. The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing

13. Annan Water

14. Margaret in Captivity

15. The Hazards of Love III (Revenge!)

16. The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)

17. The Hazards of Love IV (The Drowned)

Download

Modeselektor - Happy Birthday!

2011-03-19T19:01:00.001-07:00

blackcoffeeaddict reporting in with a post from nowhere:

I first found these guys a few years back when I was browsing around iTunes. I heard it and bought it on a whim, and I don't regret a single dime.

In my eyes, they combine ambient synth sounds, odd vocals in both French and English, some rapping, and something that sounds like a precursor to dubstep into one lurid melting pot of sound. It's a long album, but it works both as a background track to your life and as the main attraction for your ears. I recommend a good subwoofer and a will to lose your mind.

1. Happy Birthday!

2. Godspeed

3. 2000007 (feat. TTC)

4. Let Your Love Grow (feat. Apparat and Paul St. Hilare)

5. Em Ocean

6. Sucker Pin

7. Edgar

8. Hyper Hyper (feat. Otto Von Schirach)

9. B.M.I.

10. The Dark Side Of The Frog

11. The Dark Side Of The Sun (feat. Puppetmastaz)

12. Déboutonner (feat. Siriusmo

13. The Black Block

14. The First Rebirth

15. The White Flash (feat. Thom Yorke)

16. Late Check-out

17. The Wedding Toccatta Theme

18. (I Can't Sleep) Without Music (feat. Maxïmo Park)

Website

Pitchfork Review

Download

Holy Grail/Crisis In Utopia (2010)

2011-03-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

This has become a favorite of mine, for the simple fact that they are so good at what they do; emulating the sounds of the past while sounding modern. Holy Grail, much like White Wizzard, are a band that aims to bring their favorite qualities from music's past back into the spotlight. Interestingly, Holy Grail and White Wizzard are different pieces of the same puzzle. Holy Grail is the original line-up of White Wizzard. Wizzard released an EP and then broke up, with the bassist being the only remaining member, he reformed and created what I now adore. The rest of the band found a new bassist and reformed as Holy Grail. They are both approaching the same genre, but from two different angles. While Wizzard focuses a bit more on the histrionics of the singers voice, Grail focuses on the complete package a bit more. The whole unit thrives as one. If you want to find out if you would like this band or not, all you have to do is listen to their first single, My Last Attack. That sums up what the band aims to sound like, what the lyrics are about, and how hard they will rock you. A seriously good album if you like bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, or even White Wizzard.

Tracklist
1. My Last Attack
2. Fight To Kill
3. Call of Valhalla
4. Crisis In Utopia
5. Immortal Man
6. Nocturne in D Minor
7. The Blackest Night
8. Chase The Wind
9. Hollow Ground
10. Requiem
11. Cherish Disdain

Download

Explosions In The Sky/All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone (2007)

2011-02-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

Explosions In The Sky is an instrumental Post-Rock band from Texas that creates album alfter album of sonic enjoyment. All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone is no different. The layers of guitars, piano, bass and drums bring together melody in chaos. It's an experience to listen to this album. Sit back, do something else while it's playing. You'll be amazed at how well it works with anything, and how you can listen to it while doing anything. I recommend listening to this album as a whole for the full effect, but if you must listen to just one song, check out Catastrophe and the Cure.

Tracklist
1. The Birth and Death of the Day
2. Welcome, Ghosts
3. It's Natural to Be Afraid
4. What Do You Go Home To?
5. Catastrophe and the Cure
6. So Long, Lonesome

Myspace

Download

Tony Bravo - Dubstep Fun

2011-02-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

Gonna keep this short and sweet, I found this album on Jamendo. And it's amazing, the first song alone made me cry. It's only 3 songs long but...damn they're good. Enjoy.

Download

The Cars/The Cars (1978)

2011-02-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

The debut from a pretty well famous American Rock band, The Cars is a killer album. The album starts out with three of the most famous classic rock songs, period. Good Times Roll? Check. My Best Friend's Girl? Check. Just What I Needed? (re-popularized by Circuit City's last ad campaign) Definitely check. I'm In Touch With Your World and Don't Cha Stop are the two fine numbers that come next. After that, You're All I've Got Tonight is a killer gem that gets stuck in the middle of the album. Bye Bye Love is good, but not nearly as good as the two songs it precedes, the almost connected Moving In Stereo and All Mixed Up that end the album. The synths are all over the place. In the beginning they're used to bring along some melody to the tracks, and by the end they're being used for out of this world style ambiance. The songs are catchy and the album is short. Check out what is a Classic Rock necessity.

Tracklist

Good Times Roll
My Best Friend's Girl
Just What I Needed
I'm in Touch with Your World
Don't Cha Stop
You're All I've Got Tonight
Bye Bye Love
Moving In Stereo
All Mixed Up

Download

The Crookes/Dreams of Another Day EP (2010)

2011-01-24T17:10:00.000-08:00

Dreams of Another Day is an 8 song EP from the Alternative Rock/Pop band The Crookes. It's light, airy, fun alternative rock that is upbeat and charming in it's earnestness. What I mean by that is that every song sounds heartfelt, like the singer is singing the song just to you. It's catchy and infectious, I find myself humming Backstreet Lovers and Yes, Yes, We are Magicians all the time now. It's a little bit Indie, a little bit mainstream. What it is 100% is a good time. At 8 tracks clocking in around 27 minutes, I couldn't think of a better little pick me up to any day.

Tracklist

1. Backstreet Lovers
2. Somewhere Over the Bus Stop
3. Yes, Yes, We Are Magicians
4. A Collier's Wife
5. Two Drifters
6. More Blitz Than Ritz
7. Born Under a Bad Sign
8. Mrs Porter

Myspace

Download

HOLY BALLS A POST : VA - Techno Vol 3.

2011-01-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

WELP I'm back gersh dermit, and with a power house of ownage to melt your faces, here is a mix I downloaded off the interwebs and then edited out the crap, and then made it into a neat little package. Anywho enjoy. (There's too many songs to do a song list like we usually do.) It's just a your basic techno mix with a little hardstyle, trance and straight up techno, so enjoy. :)

Download
Part 1
Part 2
I also apologize for it being two parts, BUT there is a lot of music in there. :D

Dokken/Lightning Strikes Again (2008)

2011-01-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

Gonna make this quick and simple. I love hair metal, thus I will recommend a lot of it. Dokken's Lightning Strikes Again is their 2008 attempt to sound relevant, and on that scale they go to 11. They still sound like they're in '86 and Don Dokken is still singing about love gone wrong, but it sounds fresh, and not stale. This album rocks really damn hard, and is a solid entry in an otherwise hit-and-miss career. Put on the fingerless gloves and denim jackets, it's time to rock. Songs to check out are Standing On The Outside, Give Me A Reason and Point of No Return.

Tracklist

1. Standing on the Outside
2. Give Me a Reason
3. Heart to Stone
4. Disease
5. How I Miss Your Smile
6. Oasis
7. Point of No Return
8. I Remember
9. Judgment Day
10. It Means
11. Release Me
12. This Fire

Download

Grace Jones/Hurricane (2008)

2010-12-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

The first album in 19 years from one of Pop music's biggest oddities, this 60 year old Grace Jones still knows how to belt it out. Hurricane is dark Pop music, re-telling bits and pieces of Jones' own life while mixing in a few numbers that suit her more androgynous, evil side. William's Blood and I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) are strikingly emotional songs about Jones' childhood, growing up in Jamaica, and her mother. This Is, Corporate Cannibal, Hurricane and Devil in My Life are dark, sinister numbers that sound like the Grace Jones people are familiar with. It's fun, and catchy, while being a bit on the darker side of the scale. Jones' voice is deep and gravelly naturally, and with age she has brought more gravel to the table, and it's welcome. On the songs about her own life her Jamaican accent grows thicker and the emotion really pulls through. It's a fun romp through the night. A perfect soundtrack to a night where you expect anything to happen.

Tracklist
1. This Is
2. William's Blood
3. Corporate Cannibal
4. I'm Crying (Mother's Tears)
5. Well Well Well
6. Hurricane
7. Love You To Life
8. Sunset Sunrise
9. Devil In My Life

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Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush/Tales Of The Unexpected (1979)

2010-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

An unexpected gem from the 70's Hard Rock scene. A Canadian trio greatly influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Mahogany Rush are an often forgotten but fondly remembered band. Tales of the Unexpected is configured in a weird way to most modern audiences. The first four tracks are studio cuts, while the last four tracks are live recordings. The studio cuts include the forever funky Sister Change, and solid covers of All Along the Watchtower and Norwegian Wood. The live recordings are memorable and are definitely worth hearing on their own. Great performances of their own Tales of the Unexpected and Down, Down, Down. Bluesy, with some drifts into the Psychedelic range, the band plays to their strengths. The vocals are ring true and are soulful, while the guitars crunch and jam right along. A great little album from a band that nobody seems to remember.

Tracklist
1. Sister Change
2. All Along the Watchtower
3. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
4. Tales of the Unexpected
5. Down, Down, Down
6. Door of Illusion
7. Woman
8. Bottom of the Barrel

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Orgy/Vapor Transmission (2000)

2010-12-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

An old favorite, I can hardly do the album justice. So I'll let a real reviewer say it for me.

"In 1998, Orgy made an impressive entrance with their cover of New Order's "Blue Monday." With their second album Vapor Transmission, they return to deliver another set of electronic-laden rockers, but this time out they do so with slicker production and improved songwriting. Although proving to not be an album of innovation, what the sci-fi tinged Vapor Transmission does accomplish is showcasing more of the "pop" in Orgy's self-labeled "death pop" music by mixing an energetic blend of soaring singalong choruses, catchy hooks, layered guitars, and polished production techniques. Their signature guitar-synth drones are still present in the majority of the tracks, but this time out they share the limelight with Jay Gordon's improved vocal stylings and Ryan Shuck's more ambitious guitar work. Rather than repeating themselves or simply pairing heavy riffs with electro filler, there is a better sense of melody throughout Vapor's 13 tracks. One of the best examples of this is on "Opticon," a track with one of the most memorable choruses the band has delivered. Orgy has also raised the intensity level here. Mixing tones of Marilyn Manson, Gravity Kills, and even mentors Korn, they seem to be more comfortable experimenting with different dynamics, balancing delicate verses with thundering choruses, most notably on "Eva" and the album's first single, "Fiction (Dreams in Digital)." Although Vapor Transmission doesn't venture far from its roots in alt-metal and industrial rock, it is a worthy follow-up and establishes Orgy as more than just a flash in the pan."
-Don Kline

Tracklist
1. Vapor Transmission
2. Suckerface
3. The Odyssey
4. Opticon
5. Fiction (Dreams in Digital)
6. Eva
7. 107
8. Dramatica
9. Eyes-Radio-Lies
10. Saving Faces
11. Re-Creation
12. Chasing Sirens
13. Where's Gerroid

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Halestorm/Halestorm (2009)

2010-11-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

Lizzy Hale has balls. At least, she sings like she has a pair. The front woman of Halestorm brings more testosterone to the table than many of her contemporaries, and makes no bones about being a woman in a man's world. While the rock scene has witnessed the likes of Amy Lee or Hayley Williams, they've hardly seen a woman just straight up rock without a gimmick. Amy is all dark and Gothic and moody, whilst Hayley is light and airy and for the pop lovers. Lizzy Hale however rocks like you want a woman to. Similar to Sister Sin, but less gravely. Lizzy provides an excellent voice for an excellent band, while showing off a devil may care sort of attitude. This girl gets off on people getting off to her, and sings a song all about it. They bring back the classic sound of Rock and Roll with a twist, and have a flair for hooks. It's hard rock lead by a woman who will proclaim that she is no angel, she's a rock and roll woman through and through. It's Not You is a great introduction to the band, and the general idea of the band. If you don't like It's Not You or I Get Off, you won't like this band. If you do enjoy those songs than you're in for one awesome ride.

Tracklist

It's Not You
I Get Off
Bet U Wish U Had Me Back
Innocence
Familiar Taste of Poison
I'm Not An Angel
What Were You Expecting
Love/Hate Heartbreak
Better Sorry Than Safe
Dirty Work
Nothing to Do with Love
Tell Me Where It Hurts

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Running Wild/Port Royal (1988)

2010-11-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

This 4 Man Heavy Metal outfit is a masterpiece for two reasons. It's really good 80's Metal, and it's all pirate themed. That's right, pirates. Based in the Heavy Metal offshoot Speed Metal, it's a great sounding album without the sea-faring scheme. However that just adds to the delight and wonder of the album. The arrangements are great, and it's cool to hear a band other than Alestorm sing of the subject. If you've seen the Pirates of The Caribbean movies, you already know where this album is set. Port Royal is the pirate port where all of the pirates hang out in those movies, and it takes center stage for the album of the same name, starting with a comical, unsubtle intro track that literally tells you where you are. Stand out tracks include Port Royal, Raging Fire, Blown to Kingdom Come, Mutiny, and last but not least Calico Jack, a song about the famous pirate that Captain Jack Sparrow is based off of. If you like you're pirate history, or if you just want some 80's Speed Metal with a new twist, this album is for you.

Tracklist
1. Intro
2. Port Royal
3. Raging Fire
4. Into the Arena
5. Uaschitschun
6. Final Gates
7. Conquistadores
8. Blown to Kingdom Come
9. Warchild
10. Mutiny
11. Calico Jack

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Smile Empty Soul/Anxiety (2005)

2010-10-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

When I entered teenage years, I went through a phase. You know the phase, angry, rebellious music that later we are ashamed of listening to. Of course at the time of my teenager-dom, the rebellious music of choice was Post-Grunge and Nu-Metal, the current "it" music at the time. Most of that music I can't listen to anymore, but I can still listen to Smile Empty Soul's Anxiety all the time. It was a rare entry in that mid-2000's Post-Grunge genre in that the raw emotion spoke to me as a listener, and I connected with it. SES' first album was pure Post-grunge, nothing more or less. However, the release of Anxiety as their second album was a wise choice, as it took the formula from the first album, then added wisdom from having released an album before, and knowing what they wanted out of it. That makes for a tighter album that speaks more towards the listener and has better lyrics and a better idea of who the band wants to be. The album starts off strong with Bright Side, and California's Lonely and Self Inflicted are great ones. Later down the way Refill Me is another great track, and the story on Cody is humorous, taken from a voicemail left on the lead singer's phone. Never Again helps close out the album on a strong note. It's guitar driven hooks and grungy vocals at their best, with a politically conscious agenda. If you don't mind bands like Staind and other Post-Grunge bands, take a listen to Anxiety, you can justify liking the genre.

Tracklist
1. Bright Side
2. To the Ground
3. California's Lonely
4. Self Inflicted
5. Holes
6. Don't Need You
7. Fight of a Suburban Couple
8. Refill Me
9. God's Army
10. Not Alright
11. Saturday
12. Cody
13. Proud to Be
14. Never Again
15. End of the World

Myspace

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Accept/Blood Of The Nations (2010)

2010-10-16T10:36:00.001-07:00

Accept is a band that has been around for quite some time, and they sound better than ever. A German Heavy Metal band, they came to fame at the height of the 80's Hair Metal craze. Their biggest song being Balls To The Wall, a trademark of their sound, simple but heavy guitar riffs and a singer with a voice that reached as high as Halford's would go. They've broken up and re-united several times, so this album isn't special in that regards, but what is different is the lead singer. Original vocalist Udo decided not to join Accept this time, so they got an excellent American who does Udo's job very, very well, and makes it his own. His voice is a mixture of Halford's and Brian Johnson's from AC/DC. He reaches the highs and lows that Halford can, with a certain quality in his voice that hardly changes, which is what makes me compare him to Johnson. The lyrics would have been straight up into Hair Metal back in the day, but nowadays we have a better defining term for them; Power Metal. Taking pages out of Dio's (R.I.P.) notebook, the songs heavily feature lyrics about war, axes, rainbows, fire, steel, and badass lines like, "So we ride, into the night, with the howling winds at out back." (Teutonic Terror) If you're a fan of the cheesier side of Metal, and want to bang your head along to some pretty damn awesome riffs, Blood of The Nations is an album for you. Proving an old band can be relevant again, and still throw out one hell of an album, It has everything I need and more. Songs to check out include Beat The Bastards, Teutonic Terror, Blood Of The Nation and Locked and Loaded

Tracklist
1. Beat The Bastards
2. Teutonic Terror
3. The Abyss
4. Blood Of The Nations
5. Shades Of Death
6. Locked And Loaded
7. Time Machine
8. Kill The Pain
9. Rolling Thunder
10. Pandemic
11. New World Comin'
12. No Shelter
13. Bucket Full Of Hate

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Trivium/Ascendency(2005)

2010-10-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

This is the first album of Trivium's current line-up and sound. Before this they have an album of a decidedly more Metalcore style. Ascendancy sees Trivium picking up their trademark Thrash Metal style and getting in the groove they would continue on and perfect for another two albums, the present day. Lead singer Matt Heafy channels James Hetfield in his vocal delivery, so if you don't like Metallica I guess Trivium isn't a band for you. For the first album from these four people together, they are ridiculously tight. The dual guitars rip and tear at you, the onslaught of the kick drum beating you down. It's an album full of pure Thrash while combining modern influences with Trivium's raw talent. Songs to check out are Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr, Drowned and Torn Asunder, and The Deceived.

Tracklist
1. The End of Everything
2. Rain
3. Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr
4. Drowned and Torn Asunder
5. Ascendancy
6. A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation
7. Like Light to the Flies
8. Dying in Your Arms
9. The Deceived
10. Suffocating Sight
11. Departure
12. Declaration

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Ayria/Debris (2005)

2010-10-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ayria is a female fronted Future pop/Industrial Pop project, and Debris is her debut. It's not quite hard enough to be Industrial, and not quite light enough to be mainstream pop, so thus where the term Future Pop comes into play. It's like what tv shows and movies show a kid in the future listening to. Hard, but still sweet. What makes this album such a hit is the songwriting, which is second to none. Displaying a knack of mixing commercial synthpop with harder EBM elements, it combines sometimes bittersweet lyrics with more upbeat melodies along with an eye for the unexpected that many more established acts should be envious of. All of this means that the music never falls into the trap of mainstream mediocrity and stands the test of repeat listenings. Tracks to check out include Horrible Dream, The Radio, and Substance

Tracklist
1. DOS
2. Horrible Dream
3. Had Something
4. Mercury
5. The Radio
6. Red Shift
7. Sapphire
8. Disease
9. Start Again
10. Debris
11. Substance
12. Beta Complex
13. Kiss Me Goodnight As I'm Falling Asleep

Myspace

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Guano Apes/Proud Like A God (1997)

2010-09-27T21:29:00.001-07:00

The debut album from German metal heads Guano Apes. It's a bit farther removed than most Metal I post. It's from '97, German, and female fronted to boot. It's not so hard, compared to the other Metal I share, it's more like more alternative Hard Rock, with a spraying of Punk. But what they lack in the heavy department they make up for with heart. Singer Sandra Nasic has a rough and tough voice, and her intensity and emotions bleed through her vocal chords. If you hear anything on this album, you're going to hear pure aggression. The songwriting isn't perfect, but on a debut album, whose is? What you get is a few tracks that aren't so hot, but a stack of intense, emotion filled headbangers that make up for those few that fall short. Hell I'd pick up this album for Open Your Eyes, Maria and Lords of the Boards alone. Those 3 tracks are stronger than half of the music of its time, and 13 years later still hold up as some of the hardest hitting tracks I listen to on a regular basis. If you like raw aggression, female singers, hard rock that leans towards metal, and a little something you're most likely going to hear about from anywhere else, this album is for you.

Tracklist
1. Open Your Eyes
2. Maria
3. Rain
4. Lords of the Boards
5. Crossing the Deadline
6. We Use The Pain
7. Never Born
8. Wash It Down
9. Scapegoat
10. Get Busy
11. Suzie
12. Tribute
13. Move A Little Closer

Myspace

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cLOUDDEAD/cLOUDDEAD (2001)

2010-09-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

An experimental Hip-Hop group with only two albums, cLOUDEAD is an interesting band with an even more interesting sound. It's a mixture of Ambient, Electronica, Psychedelic and Indie Rock, plus a heaping helping of underground Hip-Hop. As a group, cLOUDEAD only put out 10 releases. The first six singles were combined with their B sides to pull together this album, they had 2 more singles, and released a full length studio album named Ten, for their 10th and final release. It doesn't sound like anything or anyone else, a trait that sets this album apart from other underground Hip-Hop stars. It's full of atmosphere and samples, with the vocals kick in it's like they're fighting their way through the thick fog the music has created to let you in on a secret. This is cool. This is strange. This is unique, and I bet you've never heard anything like it.

Tracklist
1. Apt. A, Pt. 1
2. Apt. A, Pt. 2
3. And All You Can Do Is Laugh, Pt. 1
4. And All You Can Do Is Laugh, Pt. 2
5. I Promise Never to Get Paint on My Glasses Again, Pt. 1
6. I Promise Never to Get Paint on My Glasses Again, Pt. 2
7. Jimmybreeze, Pt. 1
8. Jimmybreeze, Pt. 2
9. (Cloud Dead #5), Pt. 1
10. (Cloud Dead #5), Pt. 2
11. Bike, Pt. 1
12. Bike, Pt. 2

Myspace

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Urban Species/Blanket (1998)

2010-09-17T23:32:00.000-07:00

A hardly known British Hip-Hop band that had two albums in the 90's, Urban Species is an interesting combination. Influences include Reggae, Blues, Funk, Dub, Jazz, Ragga and Acoustic Folk, and make for an interesting listen. Blanket has several guest stars, the most famous now being a very young British singer-songwriter named Imogen Heap. She appears on the song Blanket, (which she co-wrote) and Predictably Unpredictable. On these tracks, you get a recognizable voice, but it's much more raw and human since it's so unlike her solo releases, which focus on manipulation of her voice and electronic sounds. The album as a whole is a solid Hip-Hop effort, lyrics flow and don't make the music suffer under the weight of them. The beats are simple but bass heavy, still full of samples as one would expect, but they leave it sparse enough that the beats don't overshadow the lyrics, and vice-versa. It's a nice blend, and a refreshing listen when you realize most current Hip-Hop releases fall into those two previous categories. Blanket is an album that you can just put on and chill out to,It's full of soul, and a sense that the creators really believe in what they say. It's laid back, but there is still a message, but you don't have to work hard to discover those messages. A good backing track to everyday life. Songs to check out include Blanket, Predictably Unpredictable and Religion And Politics.

Tracklist
1. Changing Of The Guard
2. Destructive
3. Blanket
4. I Wonder
5. Woman
6. Predictably Unpredictable
7. Rockstar
8. Religion And Politics
9. Reality Check
10. Tomorrow People

Myspace

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Marilyn Manson/Mechanical Animals (1998)

2010-09-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is by far my favorite Manson album. It's not the one that gets the most acclaim, or has the most recognizable songs, but it's a bit different than his usual shtick and in my opinion it pays off well. On Mechanical Animals, Manson turns more towards Glam Rock and away from Industrial Metal. The industrial is still there of course, it's just not as prominent, and makes way for anthem choruses and synths that are as catchy as they are pounding. A concept album in itself, based around a character named Omega, who is an alien who has fallen to earth, is captured, and is forced to become a rock star. The other character portrayed is named Alpha, which is based on Manson and his state of mind at the time. Half the album is credited to Omega while the other half is credited to Alpha, and as such, it makes for a varied disc. The Omega songs are the songs that are generally more nihilistic and superficial lyrically, like The Dope Show, User Friendly, and New Model No. 15. Whereas Alpha's songs are about a character who is experiencing emotions for the first time, with songs like Great Big White World, The Speed of Pain and The Last Day On Earth. It may not be his most famous album, but it's my favorite for a reason. The Alpha numbers are inspired and hit me emotionally, making you experience what the singer feels, while Omega's songs are heavy hitting, fist pumping rockers like Rock Is Dead and I Don't Like the Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me). It's an album based all around feelings and emotions, and if you're up for a heavier affair than albums generally considered to be the same way, look no further. This is a must have in my collection, I couldn't live without it. Songs to check out include Rock Is Dead and I Don't Like The Drugs from Omega, and Great Big White World and Coma White from Alpha.

Tracklist
1. Great Big White World
2. The Dope Show
3. Mechanical Animals
4. Rock Is Dead
5. Disassociative
6. The Speed of Pain
7. Posthuman
8. I Want to Disappear
9. I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)
10. New Model No. 15
11. User Friendly
12. Fundamentally Loathsome
13. The Last Day on Earth
14. Coma White

Myspace

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The Pretty Blue Guns/Cutting Heads (2009)

2010-09-04T08:28:00.001-07:00

The Pretty Blue Guns are a little known Blues Rock band from South Africa. They mix the blues with the raw power of Garage Rock to make a gritty, bluesy sound. Bands that sound similar might be The White Stripes and The Black Keys, but while they may sound similar, they definitely don't sound the same. The Pretty Blue Guns have a refreshing take on the Bluesy Garage Rock of the last ten years. The guitars are fuzzy, distorted and play the blue notes like its nobody's business. The vocals are rough, gritty and perfect for the music it's married to. At 42 minutes for 11 songs, it's a quick jaunt through Cutting Heads. Enough to make you feel satisfied, but not so much that you feel sick of the sound. If any of this sounds appealing, check it out. Songs to check out include Suitcase, No Good, and Bad Liver Blues.

Tracklist
1. Suitcase
2. Pills
3. No Good
4. Country Hell
5. A Call To Arms
6. Dadada
7. Two Blue Birds
8. Lost Faith
9. Bad Liver Blues
10. Your Warning
11. Devil Do

Myspace

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Alton Ellis/Sunday Coming (1970)

2010-08-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

If you like Reggae, then I think you'll like Sunday Coming by Alton Ellis. Known as the Godfather of Rocksteady, (the genre being named after his song, named Rock Steady) He influenced many of the later famous reggae and hip-hop artists. He is the older brother of female reggae singer Hortense Ellis which I posted a long time ago here on MDM. His rhythms and rhymes don't sound particularly new or inventive, but when you realize he was part of the first group of people inventing the sound of Reggae and Jamaican music as a whole, it gains more importance in how it sounds. Sunday Coming is 14 songs of pure Reggae bliss. This music is interesting to listen to if not for the music alone, for also having the origins of Reggae be very apparent and just starting to culminate into its own sound from Ellis' Rocksteady sound that he was famous for creating. His vocals are full of soul and the way he phrases his lyrics are impeccable. He even gets down and funky with Alton's Groove, providing a very James Brown styled song. This is a good album for people who want to get into Reggae but don't know where to start, and also people who are into Reggae and want to find out where it all came from. Tracks to check out include It's True, The Picture Was You, These Eyes (a cover of the Guess Who) and Alton's Groove.

Tracklist
1. Joy in the Morning
2. Sunday Coming
3. These Eyes
4. Hurting Me
5. It's True
6. Alton's Groove
7. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)
8. The Picture Was You
9. Gonna Take a Miracle
10. Your Heart Is Gonna Pay
11. Wide Awake in a Dream
12. You Make Me So Very Happy
13. Reason in the Sky
14. The Winner (Extended Version)

Myspace

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Brendan Benson/My Old, Familiar Friend (2009)

2010-08-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Benson as part of the group The Raconteurs is a songwriting powerhouse with partner Jack White, and can make quiet the impressionable blues riff. On his own, he makes catchy, quirky pop-rock that has it's own identity away from The Raconteurs. Having made 3 critically successful albums before joining the likes of Jack White, Brendan's style is already known and popular and people like it that way. That's why My Old, Familiar Friend is great. Instead of trying to use his Raconteurs fame to create a solo project, he instead gets to use the new-found money and respect to do his music exactly the way he wants without a hitch. While his other records may sound more raw, My Old, Familiar Friend is Benson pulling out all the stops to get the most professional, most concise album of pop-rock that he can produce. The music sounds warm and familiar, nothing unsettling, but comforting at the same time in how well it sounds like pop-rock idols of the past, like Wings or the principals of Motown. The music is lively, and his lyrics have a Beck like creativity to them, but make much more sense. Tracks to check out are Garbage Day, Gonowhere and Don't Want To Talk.

Tracklist
1. A Whole Lot Better
2. Eyes on the Horizon
3. Garbage Day
4. Gonowhere
5. Feel Like Taking You Home
6. You Make A Fool Out Of Me
7. Poised And Ready
8. Don't Want to Talk
9. Misery
10. Lesson Learned
11. Borrow

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Xploding Plastix/Amatuer Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents (2001)

2010-08-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Xploding Plastix is a Norwegian duo who play Electrofunk/Big Beat with strokes of Jazz. It's weird, quirky, and definitely not something you hear every day. The basis of a song for Xploding Plastix in general is to take an old sample, distort it til' the fuzz outweighs the original sound, then make a bombastic track using it. Songs like Behind The Eightball sound like they were made to score an epic spy movie. A lot of the music in its uniqueness sounds like it could be on a film score somewhere. It's cool and different. It's truly an electronic album, if there ever was one. Tracks to check out include Single Stroke Ruffs, Tintinnamputation and Happy Jizz Girls

Tracklist
1. Sports, Not Heavy Crime
2. Funnybones and Lazylegs
3. 6-Hours Starlight
4. Behind the Eightball
5. Single Stroke Ruffs
6. Treat Me Mean, I Need The Reputation
7. Relieved Beyond Repair
8. Tintinnamputation
9. More Powah to Yah
10. Having Smarter Babies
11. Far-Flung Tonic
12. Happy Jizz Girls
13. Doubletalk Gets You Through
14. Comatose Luck

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iRonica/Vivere (2009)

2010-08-10T16:42:00.001-07:00

iRonica is a Finnish Melodic Metal band, the style is much the same as Symphonic Metal. Their contemporaries would be bands like Within Temptation and Nightwish, and in similar fashion, have a female lead singer leading the Heavy Metal front. Though, they do experiment with Heavy Metal guitar riffs and Death Metal growl delivery. (The Beast) At 9 songs, it's a quick jaunt in the genre, which is refreshing because most bands of this style have long drawn out songs and overly complex albums. At 9 songs in 38 minutes, you're getting a shot of the genre and not much more. It doesn't overstay it's welcome, and leaves you not overly tired unlike albums from say, Nightwish. As typical with the genre, the keyboards are massive and the guitars crunch along. The powerful female vocals charge through the speakers and into your head. Not spectacular, not special. Vivere is for fans of the Melodic Metal/Symphonic Metal genres and enjoys listening to more music like that. It's less known than it's contemporaries, but holds its ground among them as well as being a solid entry into the genre. Stand out tracks include Stop Me, From The Dark and The Beast.

Tracklist

1. Dive

2. Stop Me

3. So Fades The Memory

4. From The Dark

5. Little Princess

6. Dead Hope

7. Suffer For You

8. The Beast

9. Reflections

Myspace

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Hey about broken links

2010-08-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, I've been barely posting and I haven't been looking into the archives to look at comments.

As such, I found my Aerosmith and Sixx:A.M. posts both contained dead links, or password protected files. I am fixing that right now and they should be back to working again. If there are any others leave it as a comment on this post and i'll try my best to fix it.

Thanks everybody for reading the blog, I plan on updating a lot more often. As of late i've been pretty unmotivated. But now that I see people are still reading my blog i'll try my best to be a better blog owner/poster.

Yours truly,

Darkeststar

Eyes Set to Kill/Broken Frames (2010)

2010-07-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

The third album from previous MDM band Eyes Set to Kill. On this release, they get heavier and have switched male vocalists. They still sound strong and they're finally achieving some fame, two albums later they are still going strong. I myself saw them in concert last year and they put on one hell of a show, and they do have as much energy in their sets as they do on their album. Guitars hit hard and fast, the drums and bass are tight and make up a great backing tracks to the male screamer and lead singer Alexia's powerful voice. While I appreciate the screaming, my favorite songs are the ones that showcase Alexia's voice. Stand-out tracks include Broken Frames, The Listening, Ticking Bombs. If you like women with your metal, screaming/singing trade-offs or even just some good hard rockin', this is a good album to pick up.

Tracklist

1. All You Ever Knew

2. Broken Frames

3. The Listening

4. Ticking Bombs

5. Play The Part

6. Falling Fast

7. Catch Your Breath

8. Ryan

9. Inside The Eye

10. Two Letter Sins

11. Escape

12. Let Me In (Bonus Track)

Myspace

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Breakwater/Splashdown (1980)

2010-07-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Breakwater was a little Funk and Soul band that started in the 70's and continued on until around 1980. Releasing only two albums, the band is similar to last post's Edwin Birdsong in two respects. One, they released a very small amount of material, making their music hard to find. Two, they were sampled by Daft Punk. The song Robot Rock samples their biggest hit, Release The Beast. While Splashdown, and Breakwater in general have some more Funk songs like Release The Beast, they mostly spent their time on slower Soul jams. It's well done music, just overlooked. The music sounds straight out of that 80's disco-y/funky era, and the vocals croon over the often schmoozy lyrics. My favorite is Release The Beast for it's full on Funk Rock attack, but the other 7 songs on the album aren't bad either. Say You Love Me Girl and Time are two love ballads that would be good on any 80's mixtapes, and make from a break of the standards that fill those lists. Overall, it's not amazing, but Splashdown is an album that hardly anyone knows about, and it's got a fun and funky sound to share with you.

Tracklist

1. Splashdown Time

2. Love Of My Life

3. Release The Beast

4. The One In My Dreams

5. You

6. Say You Love Me Girl

7. Let Love In

8. Time

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Edwin Birdsong/Edwin Birdsong (1979)

2010-07-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

Edwin Birdsong is a hidden gem kind of album. The man himself only sporadically released albums, and then after a time retired from his own music and started working solely as a session musician for people like Stevie Wonder. The self-titled album is an exercise in funky, funky disco. The song he is most known for is Cola Bottle Baby, though hardly anyone actually knows it by that name. It is the main sample behind the Daft Punk song Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. If you know that song, you know what he sounds like, sans vocoders. It's Funky, it's danceable, it's fun. The album is 8 tracks long, with them mostly bleeding into one after the other, making it sound like a blast from the past, which I don't take as a bad thing. It's an album that doesn't get its due, and I'm happy to bring it to new eyes. Cola Bottle Baby/Phiss-Phizz is my favorite song overall, but Kunta Dance, Lollipop and Autumn Eyes are all fun songs, and I enjoy this album immensely. So take this album and listen to it, I hope it becomes the soundtrack of fun times as it has been for me.

Tracklist

1. Cola Bottle Baby/Phiss-Phizz (2 tracks, they are intertwined as one song)

2. Kunta Dance

3. Lollipop

4. Goldmine

5. Freaky Deaky Sities

6. Autumn Eyes

7. Lollipop (Slow)

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Dragonette/Galore (2007)

2010-07-04T23:01:00.001-07:00

On Dragonette's debut album, it's easy to spot the influences. Sounding a little like The Scissor Sisters, or as some have said, if The Killers were fronted by Gwen Stefani. It's synth-poppy goodness all 'round, no matter how you look at it. The album is short, and certainly sweet, if not a little fierce. There are sassy synths and lead singer Martina Sorbara has her way with the melodies. Especially with lines like "I say yes when I oughta say no." The music is a little bit too polished and shiny for their personality to shine through, but Galore makes for an excellent introduction to such a fun band. They're quirky, spunky, and definitely know how to have a good time. Stand out tracks include I Get Around, Take It Like A Man, Jesus Doesn't Love Me and Black Limousine.

Tracklist

1. I Get Around

2. Competition

3. Take it Like A Man

4. True Believer

5. Another Day

6. Get Lucky

7. Jesus Doesn't Love Me

8. Black Limousine

9. Gold Rush

10. You Please Me

11. Marvellous

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Sub Focus/Sub Focus (2009)

2010-06-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Sub Focus is an up and coming English D'n'B producer who is turning heads everywhere. Being new to the scene, he's only been releasing music since 2003. His debut album was released in 2009, and is an excellent representation of his trade. While primarily being D'n'B, Sub Focus also showcases excellent examples of Dubstep, House and Trance. And knowing how to re-use old sounds. My favorite track on the album, and my reason for finding this artist at all is the song Rock It. Rock It samples the Daft Punk song Robot Rock, which in turn sampled the 80's band Breakwater's hit Release The Beast. So from sampling a sample, he has created a new sound once again, and the same sound clip has now been used in Funk, House, and now D'n'B and has transcended 30 years and still sounds relevant. I'm a big fan of this album. Sub Focus is a producer who taught himself everything he needed to know, and is now opening for acts like Pendulum, and is remixing tracks for The Prodigy. He's hitting it big, catch his first awesome album before everyone else does.

Tracklist

1. Let The Story Begin

2. World Of Hurt

3. Follow The Light

4. Last Jungle

5. Deep Space

6. Rock It

7. Move Higher

8. Vaporise

9. Triple X

10. Could This Be Real

11. Splash

12. Timewarp

13. Coming Closer

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People Noise/Ordinary Ghosts (2007)

2010-06-24T00:48:00.001-07:00

An Indie-Rock duo formed by a member of VHS Or Beta and Boom Bip, People Noise is an interesting band, with an even more interesting sound. Drummer Matt Johnson does his job well, and Zeke Buck handles all other instruments with ease. Ordinary Ghosts is like an Indie-Rock kaleidoscope. It shows off the wide range of things people love about Indie music, while being a throwback to the sounds of the past at the same time. Sounding like The Cure mixed with Grunge-y angst, People Noise is full of interesting songs, sounding like Smashing Pumpkins and even early Radiohead. Songs like The Killing Fields and Pretty Things rock out with loud guitar riffs roaring and tight drumming to back them up. It's an odd album, but odd doesn't mean bad. This is definitely a band to watch.

Tracklist

1. A Million Lives

2. The Killing Fields (Devil's in Our Hearts)

3. Ordinary Ghosts

4. The Nothing Place (Mantra)

5. Turn Around

6. Pretty Things

7. The Sun & The Moon, The Moon & The Sea

8. Sedation

9. Harrison Bergeron

10. Older

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I am a terrible blog runner

2010-06-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

I never update my own site. Shame on me. I'll make sure to do some posts shortly.

Neko Case/Middle Cyclone (2009)

2010-06-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

A somewhat challenging album at first, Middle Cyclone is a breed of something I don't listen to, nor want to listen to; Country. But what I was surprised to find out, Neko Case combines the soul of Country, mixed with flavors of Folk and a more Rock-ish outlook on life. Neko Case is a woman that I highly respect, as she did something that rarely happens; she changed my perspective on an entire genre. While not making me think contemporary country music has something to offer, rather, she has made me see that good things can still come out of that area. Her bluesy, soulful voice is addicting, and her lyrics have as much whimsy as potency. She brings along pop sensibilities on her choruses, like "I'm a man-man-maneater" (People Got A Lotta Nerve) She focuses a lot on the weather, and metaphors of animals, making this album feel as if it is from the earth itself, culminating into the stand-out track "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth". It's an album that feels organic. Like for instance, you could walk through rural America, come across a barn in the middle of roaming farmland, and hear the sounds of Neko Case just wandering past your ear. An album of the land, this album has much to offer even if like me you aren't sold on the prospects of Country Music. Give Neko Case a try, The tracks to look out for are This Tornado Loves You, People Got A Lotta Nerve, and Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth.

Tracklist
1. This Tornado Loves You
2. The Next Time You Say "Forever"
3. People Got A Lotta Nerve
4. Polar Nettles
5. Vengeance Is Sleeping
6. Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
7. Middle Cyclone
8. Fever
9. Magpie To The Morning
10. I'm An Animal
11. Prison Girls
12. Don't Forget Me
13. The Pharoahs
14. Red Tide
15. Marais La Nuit

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16bit/The Tale Of The Exploding Fist (2009)

2010-06-04T21:46:00.001-07:00

A Short EP from a genre that is still relatively underground. 16bit are big contenders in the dubstep genre, a dirty, grimy, slower form of electronic music. This is the 4 song EP that helped me discover them, The Tale Of The Exploding Fist. It's dark, full of samples from everywhere and anywhere, and has the feeling of being heavy and sinister at the same time. Expect more from me on this genre, because I'm really starting to get into it. My favorite track, although I like all 4 a lot, has to be the title track, The Tale Of The Exploding Fist. It perfectly captures the essence of dubstep. It's just so underground its hard to find actual releases for the songs, so you either find them on youtube or the songs are only pressed on vinyl. I have hope for the genre and I think it will take off. Why don't you try it yourself and find out?

Tracklist
1. The Tale Of The Exploding Fist
2. Funhouse
3. Skyline
4. ADSL

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3 Headed Monster/3 Headed Monster (2007)

2010-06-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

An album of epic proportions, 3 Headed Monster's debut, and most likely only, album album is a mixture of instrumental Power, Thrash and Speed Metal. The full-length came out in 2007 and as of 2009 are no longer a band. The main member is reforming with a new band with a vocalist, which he promises will sound like this but with the vocals people always wanted. 3 Headed Monster was a 3-piece Metal band formed by 3 high school buddies who just wanted to rock your socks off, and they do just that on this 8 track album. Album opener Varan and the tracks Ultimate Rage and Bloodbath II are the real high points of the album. While all 8 tracks who how skilled they are as musicians, and they are skilled, those three tracks show that they also have some songwriting skill too. It's good fun Metal, and is technically amazing.

Tracklist

1.Varan
2.Perfect-Plex
3.The Beast of Odo Island
4.Ultimate Rage
5.Bloodbath II
6.Ides of March
7.Bitter End
8.Engines of AKI

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Nostalgic Story - Make Your Move, We're Running Out Of Time

2010-06-01T22:13:00.001-07:00

(Please exclude the break in Techno Tuesday posts...)
Welcome back to another Techno Tuesday post. Today we're back with the master of ambient chiptunes, Nostalgic Story. However this time he did a complete 180 from his previous album, and this one is a lot more aggressive. However I still love it. It really shows how great of an artist he is when in just a years time he can do something completely different. It's such a good album, but this time it's more to keep you awake rather then what you can fall asleep to. My favorite song is Beneath This Micro World. The breaks in the song are just out of this world. This is just another great album by Nostalgic Story, download now and enjoy the crap out of it! ...Or else!
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Alphabeat/This Is Alphabeat (2008)

2010-05-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

If you like Pop music, then Alphabeat is for you. They take the sensibilities of Abba, the B-52's and the Scissor Sisters and combine it into something all their own, and they're danish! It's upbeat, and the music is top-notch pop, recalling 80's greats of the pop scene. There are boy/girl calls, and switches between r&b, classic pop at its finest, soul and disco. It's wonderful, energetic, and apologetically happy. If you like true pop, you'll like alphabeat. Recommended tracks are Fascination, 10,000 Nights and their cover of Public Image Ltd's Public Image.

Tracklist

1. Fantastic Six
2. Fascination
3. 10,000 Nights
4. Boyfriend
5. What Is Happening
6. Go-Go
7. Touch Me Touching You
8. Rubber Boots
9. Public Image
10. Nothing But My Baby

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Orbital/In Sides (1996)

2010-05-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Orbital is another influential electronic band, responsible for bringing the underground sounds of techno to the main streets, and being damn good at it. In Sides isn't their best album, but it is the one that captures their essence and sound at its most defined. In Sides is an album that is to be experienced as a whole, as there are only 8 songs, with 2 of them being direct sequels to the first parts. My favorite song is The Box (parts 1 & 2) while both parts are good on their own, the best experience is to have them both together, it's like an anthem that way. This album is a great entry in its somewhat forgotten genre, and it's a classic of its time period. I highly recommend it.

Tracklist

1. The Girl With The Sun In Her Head
2. P.E.T.R.O.L.
3. The Box, Part 1
4. The Box, Part 2
5. Dwr Budr
6. Adnan's
7. Out There Somewhere? (Part 1)
8. Out There Somewhere? (Part 2)

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Slash/Slash (2010)

2010-05-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Slash is the first official solo album from the guitar god, after spending years in other bands like Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Slash's Snakepit and numerous guest spots on other people's albums. It's good to hear for a change what a completely Slash driven project would sound like. The problem most people have with this album is that it works out more like a jam album then one full of hit singles and instant successes. While there are a few songs that could easily get radio play, (Beautiful Dangerous, Dr. Alibi) This record plays out like you would think it does. Slash is a legend in the music buisness, and has friends everywhere, of course he's going to include his friends on his album. He likes playing with them in every day life, and it's an album where he can do whatever the hell he wants. So what you get instead of a true solo Slash solo album with all sorts of instrumentals is a Slash album where he decides that if this is his one and only chance to make his own album the way he wants, he's going to have all of his friends come in and lay down a track with him. The personnel on each track works out to be like a who's who in the music buisness. You end up with a pretty interesting album, having Slash wail on the guitar next to the wailing of Ozzy, Lemmy from Motorhead, Fergie, Chris Cornell, Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Kid Rock, Dave Grohl, M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold, Iggy Pop, and my favorite track; Baby Can't Drive, with Alice Cooper, Nicole from The Pussycat Dolls, Flea and Steven Adler of the original GNR lineup. It's a rock and roll party and you're invited. Slash showcases his great guitar playing, and his ability to basically play with anyone and make it sound great. The songs are a blast, hell the album as a whole is a blast. If you like straight up rock and roll, check out this album.

Tracklist
1. Ghost (feat. Ian Astbury)
2. Crucify the Dead (feat. Ozzy Osbourne)
3. Beautiful Dangerous (feat. Fergie)
4. Back from Cali (feat. Myles Kennedy)
5. Promise (feat. Chris Cornell)
6. By the Sword (feat. Andrew Stockdale)
7. Gotten (feat. Adam Levine)
8. Doctor Alibi (feat. Lemmy Kilmister)
9. Watch This (feat. Dave Grohl & Duff McKagan)
10. I Hold On (feat. Kid Rock)
11. Nothing to Say (feat. M. Shadows)
12. Starlight (feat. Myles Kennedy)
13. Saint Is a Sinner Too (feat. Rocco DeLuca)
14. We're All Gonna Die (feat. Iggy Pop)
15. Baby Can't Drive feat. Alice Cooper & Nicole Scherzinger (Brazilian Bonus Track)
16. Chains and Shackles feat. Nick Oliveri (Australian Bonus Track)
17. Mother Maria feat. Beth Hart (iTunes Bonus Track)
18. Sahara feat. Koshi Inaba (Japanese Bonus Track)
19. Paradise City feat. Fergie & Cypress Hill (Brazilian Bonus Track)
20.Beautiful Dangerous Instrumental (Djs For Fun Bonus Track)
21. Guitar Hero Instrumental (Djs For Fun Bonus Track)

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End of You/Remains Of The Day (2010)

2010-05-11T10:47:00.001-07:00

A finnish band you've probably never heard of, End of You delivers on Alternative Rock/Gothic Rock tendencies, much like their contemporaries H.I.M. and The Rasmus. While EoY sounds different than both of those bands, they are still in the same wheelhouse for subject matter and approach to songs. Lead singer Jami Pietila has a deep voice and uses it to evoke a deep resonance with people. The guitars crunch, the drums blare, and the keyboards blast alongside Jami's haunting voice. It's different, but familiar at the same time. Not revolutionary, but a good entry. If you like your rock a bit heavier and a bit different then I think you'll enjoy this album. Songs to check out are End of You, Just Dance, and Forgive and Forget.

Tracklist
1. End Of You
2. Catching The Sky
3. Just Dance
4. Star Parade
5. September Sun
6. Hey My Enemies
7. Forgive And Forget
8. Breaking Bad
9. Crystal
10. Who Needs To Sleep

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News From The Machine 5/9/10

2010-05-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

NWA Has A Movie Being Written About Them Link

David Gilmore Doesn't Want To Bring Back Pink Floyd Link

Les Claypool Has Brought Back Primus, Plans New Album Link

Lady GaGa's Telephone Was Originally Intended For Britney Spears, She Passed On It After This Demo. Yeah, I Would Have Too Link

Jack White Wants The White Stripes To Get Back Together Link

Willie Nelson Is Heading Out On The Road Again Link

Trent Reznor's New Music Project With His Wife Is Called How To Destroy Angels, And It's Good Link

Beastie Boys Planning On Releasing An Album This September Link

Moby Formed A Metal Band Link

Courtney Love Says Fred Durst Is Responsible For The Worst Years In Music Link

Janet Jackson Says She's Done With Full Albums, Plans To Concentrate More On Singles Link

Manuel Göttsching/E2-E4 (1984)

2010-05-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

I consider this album to be one of the most influential electronic albums of all time. It's also the precursor to electronic music, and a lot of artists were influenced by what E2-E4 contains. It might sound a bit strange in the instrument department, but that's because it's really only using 3; A drum machine, a guitar line or two and some synths. Part of what makes this album so influential, I think, is the way the songs flow. At 9 songs long, but coming in at 59:20, it's an adventure. The first song, Quiet Nervousness, starts off sparingly and speeds up and becomes more complex as time goes on. What happens though is that these 9 tracks are really all one song, just with separate movements. Starting with track 1 parts of the sound get subtracted, or put in the background while a different one takes over the lead and then once the next song hits it does it again. It's a shifting kaleidoscope of sounds, but they're all still in the mix somewhere, so you don't feel like you're missing them or they aren't surprising you. They sound natural, like it should be there to switch in. It's very organic feeling, oddly enough. E2-E4 is a beautiful electronic work of art that I highly recommend listening to all the way through.

Tracklist
1. Quiet Nervousness
2. Moderate Start
3. And Central Game
4. Promise
5. Queen a Pawn
6. Glorious Fight
7. H.R.H. Retreats (With a Swing)
8. And Sovereignty
9. Draw

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Jaguar Love/ Hologram Jams (2010)

2010-05-01T22:57:00.001-07:00

Jaguar Love is an indie/alternative rock band supergroup of sorts made up of members from the bands Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves. Released in march of this year, Hologram Jams is a full-on computerized pop album. The former power trio continue on as a guitar and laptop duo. It’s a huge turn, and because Hologram Jams is so synthesized, with the only organic ingredient being processed guitar, The singer's shrill singing style and flare for dramatics become even more evident. The music is seriously warped and totally danceable, filled with ‘80s-centric synths, booty beats, and lyrics about riding a mastodon to prom and battling an octopus. The indie rock/post-punk phase may be behind them, but the album is comprised of blistering energy. I Started a Fire and Up All Night are bombastic singles, while Don’t Die Alone is a sentimental power anthem for a digital age.

Tracklist
1. I Started A Fire
2. Polaroids And Red Wine
3. Cherry Soda
4. Don't Die Alone
5. Up All Night
6. Jaguar Warriors
7. Everything Is Awesome
8. Evaline
9. Sad Parade
10. A Prostitute, An Angel
11. Freak Out
12. Secret Unlisted Track

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King Kobra/ Ready To Strike (1985)

2010-04-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

This album is pure 80's hair metal. But for all the other bands that made it big, (Poison, W.A.S.P., Ratt) there are tons of others like King Kobra who did really well but never broke through to the big leagues. While it's not revolutionary, it's full of fun, and it's a damn good album. Songs Ready To Strike, Hunger, and Shadow Rider are heavy hitters on the album and it's a great time just to listen to. Other songs like Tough Guys, which is an 80's power ballad about tough guys not crying is total cheese. It's total 80's cheese, but you can appreciate it for its silliness despite it actually being a pretty bad song. When King Kobra are at their best, they're pounding out tightly round out hard rocking songs. It's good ol' rock & roll. Sit back and enjoy the trip back to the 80's.

Tracklist
1. Ready to Strike
2. Hunger
3. Shadow Rider
4. Shake Up
5. Attention
6. Breakin' Out
7. Tough Guys
8. Dancing with Desire
9. Second Thoughts
10. Piece of the Rock

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Benji Hughes/A Love Extreme (2008)

2010-04-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

I'm tired but I'm excited to share this album with you, so this is going to be short. Benji Hughes is a small time songwriter, and A Love Extreme is his first actual album. The songs are like a mixture of Beck and The Flaming Lips; quirky, but fun. Benji creates a fun album about love and heartbreak of the average guy, rounding out an above average track total of 25 songs on an album. The synths are fun and the lyrics are all sorts of love songs and schmoozing, but with humor. Like in the song You Stood Me Up, Benji is singing about realizing his date stood him up while he eats a blizzard at dairy queen. Benji's voice is a bit different and the take on these subjects is a bit strange, but this take on Pop music is not one to be missed.

Tracklist
1. I Am You, You Are Me, We Are One
2. Tight Tee Shirt
3. You Stood Me Up
4. Neighbor Down the Hall
5. Waiting for an Invitation
6. Cornfields
7. Why Do These Parties Always End the Same Way?
8. Where Do Old Lovers Go?
9. Do You Think They Would Tell You?
10. All You've Got to Do Is Fall in Love
11. Mmmmmmm
12. Even If
13. Girl in the Tower
14. Vibe So Hot
15. So Well
16. The Mummy
17. Love Is a Razor
18. I Went with Some Friends to See the Flaming Lips
19. Coyotes
20. Ladies on Parade
21. Jubalee
22. So Much Better
23. Love on a Budget
24. Lyegue
25. Baby, It's Your Life!

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News From The Machine 4/25/10

2010-04-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Cure's Album Disintegration Is Getting a 3-Disc Reissue Link

It Was A Full Punk Rock Outing At Malcolm LcLaren's Funeral Link

A Whole List Of Musicians Who Started Out Making Music In Different Genre's. Bonus Points For Metal Billy Joel And Doowop Dio Link

Death Cab For Cutie Are Working On Their Next Album Link

Is Piracy Really Killing The Music Industry Like The Industry Says? No. Link

Michael Buble Won Album Of The Year At The Juno's Link

Bono Is An Op-Ed Writer For New York Times Link

Rapper Guru Has Died Link

Adam Ant Has Recorded A Tribute To Malcolm McLaren, Will Release It On His Next Album Link

Paul McCartney Is Moving His Albums Away From EMI Link

Yoko Will Not Be Doing A Duet With John Lennon Link

Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music Is Getting Re-Released Link

And Finally, A Metal Version of Lady GaGa's Paparazzi

Pet Shop Boys/Fundamental (2006)

2010-04-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

Fundamental is an album that is more of its time message-wise than most albums of this era. It's heavily influenced by Tony Blair's allegiance to George W. Bush and his dragging of the U.K. into the Iraq War, which has left previously Labour Party-loving vocalist Neil Tennant bitter and disillusioned. The album sounds very modern, with a slick sheen, the production is well designed instead of gloriously decorated. The vocals are airy and the synths are dreamy and generally happy sounding, which makes for a fun dichotomy when listening to the music. Polished to perfection, Luna Park lazily strolls through a holiday where fortunetellers and fire breathers divert attention from the slowly developing storm. Giving up hope entirely is Numb, better still is infectious and uptempo "I'm with Stupid," which casts Blair and Bush as irresponsible lovers who grin and pose while having their way with the world. It's not the only instantly gripping track — the paranoid Integral speaks out for personal freedom with a wicked hook while the New Order-esque Minimal ranks with their best club cuts — but the majority of Fundamental is like the majority of their albums in that repeat listens are required to do these rich songs justice.

Tracklist

Psychological
The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
I Made My Excuses And Left
Minimal
Numb
God Willing
Luna Park
I'm With Stupid
Casanova in Hell
Twentieth Century
Indefinite leave to remain
Integral

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News From The Machine 4/18/10

2010-04-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Cream Is Officially Not Reforming Link

Roger Ebert Talks About Working With McLaren, Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten On Making A Sex Pistols Movie Link

Roger Waters Is Taking The Wall Back On Tour Link

About 40 years Too Late, The Vatican Makes Peace With The Beatles Link

The Stooges' Raw Power Is Getting An Epic 3-Disc Reissue Link

Faith No More Are Back On Tour Link

Rotten Says There's A New Public Image Ltd. Album Coming Link

In France, They Have Classically Trained DJ's Link

Ozzy Gives A Gold Crucifix Necklace To A Homeless Man Link

Peter Steele, Of Type o Negative Has Died Link

Ozzy's Next Album, Scream, Is Set To Release In June Link

Frost*/Milliontown (2006)

2010-04-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

Frost* is a UK supergroup of sorts between two prog rock acts (IQ, and Kino, respectively) and keyboardist, songwriter Jem Godfrey. The funny thing to his songwriting credits though is that he generally writes generic pop songs for the likes of Holly Valance and Atomic Kitten. What nobody knew was that this pop songwriter really was a member of the Prog. Rock fan-base and what he really wanted to do was make a Prog. album. So on Milliontown that's what he does. Jem and company combine pop sensibilities with Prog. and make an interesting and awesome album. The album is only six tracks long, but the album rounds out at about 59 minutes. The first song is 7 and a half minutes long, and the last two combined take 36 and a half minutes, the last song being around 26 and a half minutes long. It doesn't seem long, it sounds like it's the appropriate length. Milliontown doesn't sound too long, it sounds just right. To me this is a perfect Prog. Rock album. I can't emphasize enough how much I love this album. All the song changes sound worthy and run for long enough that they don't feel like a little jaunt or that they take too long to get to the point. Maybe that's the pop sensibilities kicking in, I don't know. What I do know is that this is a damn fine Neo-Progressive album that you will most likely enjoy. Songs to check out include No Me No You, The Other Me and Black Light Machine.

Tracklist
1. Hyperventilate
2. No Me No You
3. Snowman
4. The Other Me
5. Black Light Machine
6. Milliontown

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Even Deeper – Spy Another Day: The Life Of Agent B

2010-04-13T14:51:00.001-07:00

Welcome everybody to another post of Techno Tuesday, I have a special one for you today so let's go!

What I love about this album is of course the music, but that the album as a whole has a theme. It’s great to see something interesting now-a-days. Usually it’s just random techno songs thrown together to make an album, but what Even Deeper does is create a theme which I thought was really unique. Also on a song based review, you get the feeling that each song accurately portrays what it’s suppose to. Also there are different styles of music done in almost every song, which is amazing in itself. Probably my favorite song on the album would be “B Meet Girl” the dance/house theme is really great and song really gets you moving. Each song is unique and gives you a damn good feeling.

1. Good Morning Agent B (Prologue)
2. B, Agent B (Intro)
3. Villian's Hideout and His Secret Plan
4. B Meets Girl (Party In The Club)
5. The Seduction of The Goregous Girl
6. Agent B Goes Undercover to Sneak Into Villian's Hideout
7. Top Secret Break In
8. Get The Secret Document,Get Out Before You're Caught
9. Secret Plan Is In Motion
10. Plan Has Been Foiled, Catch The Escaping Villian
11. Final Showdown with The Villian
12. Agent B Wins Again and Gets The Girl (Credits Roll)

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News From The Machine 4/11/10

2010-04-11T00:59:00.000-07:00

Malcolm McLaren, Responsible For Releasing The Sex Pistols On The World, Has Died Link

Led Zeppelin Audio From First Tour In U.S. Bonus: They Had Been Together Five Months, It Was Their Fifth Show Ever In America, And They Were Playing Spokane Link

Blur Record New Song Only Available For Record Store Day Link

Frontman Of Oasis Condones Filesharing, Thinks It Helps Bring In Fans Link

Public Image Ltd. A.K.A. Johnny Rotten's Other Band Played First Television Performance In 18 Years On Jimmy Kimmel's Show Link

MGMT Are Sorry About Their New Album Link

NIN Fans Rejoice, Deluxe Reissue On It's Way For Pretty Hate Machine Link

Tons Of Awesome Acts Like Lady Gaga, Grizzly Bear, Phoenix And Arcade Fire Are Headlining Lollapalooza Link

The Futureheads Have A New Album Coming Out Link

Easy Star All-Stars/Dub Side Of The Moon (2003)

2010-04-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

This is an acquired taste of an album, so I understand if people won't like it, but I do so I'm gonna post it anyway. Easy Star All Stars are a Reggae group known for covering famous albums in the Reggae style. So, as you can expect from the title, this is a Reggae rendition of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon. A classic album, I believe, in its own right, the reggae treatment goes well with the lyrics and the songs. Most of the songs instrumentals are the exact same, with the addition of some guitar hits that are synonymous with being in a reggae song, and Money. The only difference to Money being that they've swapped the intro of ka-chings and otherwise with bong hits and coughing. It's relaxing, and a different take on this classic. The album was pretty trippy to begin with, so the Easy Star All Stars didn't really have to put much effort into making it sound the way they wanted to. I don't think any of the covers are bad, it's an album I definitely like to experience as a whole, but I think that's more because I like experiencing the original album as a whole too. If you know of a reggae fan who hasn't picked up on the Floyd for some unknown reason, I'm sure they'd appreciate this, and if fans of the original album are open to experimentation with the songs then I think they'll have a fun time with it too.

Tracklist
1. Speak to Me & Breathe
2. On the Run
3. Time
4. The Great Gig in the Sky
5. Money
6. Us and Them
7. Any Colour You Like
8. Brain Damage
9. Eclipse
10. Time Version
11. Great Dub in the Sky
12. Step It Pon the Rastaman Scene
13. Any Dub You Like

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Prince/Purple Rain (1984)

2010-04-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

Purple Rain is THE Prince album to get. If you're new to him, this is the place to start. Purple Rain is more focused and ambitious than any of his previous albums, Purple Rain finds Prince staying true to his Funk and R&B roots while making bold passes at Pop, Rock, and Heavy Metal with nine songs, that I consider to be perfect. the bass-less When Doves Cry is an eerie, spare neo-psychedelic masterpiece; Let's Go Crazy is a furious blend of metallic guitars, Rolling Stones-ish riffs, and a hard funk backbeat; the anthemic title track is a majestic ballad filled with brilliant guitar flourishes. Prince's songwriting is at a peak, and the addition of his backing band the Revolution pulls the music into sharper focus, giving it a tougher, more aggressive edge. And, Prince pushed heavily into psychedelia, adding swirling strings to the dreamy "Take Me With U" and the hard rock of "Baby I'm a Star." Even with all of his new, but uncompromising, forays into pop, Prince hasn't abandoned funk, and the robotic jam of "Computer Blue" and the menacing grind of "Darling Nikki" are among his finest songs. This is considered a classic album for a reason. These nine songs define this artist. He made some good music before, and he's sure made some good albums afterword, but this album contains the very essence of Prince. It even shows off his guitarmanship, which is generally overlooked, because man he can really shred if he wants to. This is one of the most exciting and exhilarating albums of the 80's, hell of all time. Why don't you take a seat and listen to the masterpiece that is Purple Rain.

Tracklist

1. Let's Go Crazy
2. Take Me with U
3. The Beautiful Ones
4. Computer Blue
5. Darling Nikki
6. When Doves Cry
7. I Would Die 4 Y
8. Baby I'm A Star
9. Purple Rain

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News From The Machine For 4/4/10

2010-04-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

News From The Machine

Phil Collins Is Still Playing, Despite Having Severe Nerve Damage link

Rush Is Inducted Into Songwriters Hall Of Fame, You Hosers link

The Other Brother From Oasis Wants To Release A Range Of Vibrators...Uh, Okay link

Pearl Jam is Planting 33 Acres Of Trees In Puget Sound link

For Your Daily Dose Of WTF, Rage Against The Machine Want Susan Boyle To Perform With Them link

Iggy Pop Has Preformed His Last Stage Dive link

Eminem Says Something Big Is Coming Soon link

Something Awesome, Metallica & Black Sabbath Are Teaming Up For A Limited Edition Split 12-Inch For Record Store Day link

After 17 Years, Steve Miller Is Going To Release Two Studio Albums link

Acrassicauda, The Little Iraqi Metal Band That Struggles To Survive link

You Can Stream Slash's First Real Solo Album, Listen To The Songs Which Include Collaborations With Dave Grohl, Iggy Pop and Ozzy link

White Wizzard/Over The Top(2010)

2010-04-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

I like Iron Maiden a lot. In fact, I really enjoy the whole New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement as a whole. I'm not exactly sure why, maybe it's the twin guitars and soaring vocals about wizards and demons, much the same way I like Power Metal. White Wizzard's debut album somehow was able to capture the essence of the NWOBHM movement and replicates it 40 years after it became popular. With the exception of newer recording techniques, this album sounds like it could be a lost gem from that era. It's like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest got together and borrowed some of Dio's lyrics to make the album. It's not an album to take seriously. I wouldn't expect you to, with lines like "My metal heart will never die". It's fun, headbanging music. The riffs are roaring and the solos are traded, the vocals are soaring through the upper register much like that of Bruce Dickinson's style. The bass is generally at a constant gallop, a prominent feature of NWOBHM, and the drums aren't exceptional, but they hit everywhere they need to and seem to be competent. If you like fun music that just sounds epic as hell,you've got the right album. It's cheesy and delightful, especially if you're a fan of bands like Iron Maiden. Songs to check out would be 40 Deuces, Live Free or Die, Strike of the Viper and White Wizzard.

Tracklist
1. Over the Top
2. 40 Deuces
3. High Roller
4. Live Free or Die
5. Iron Goddess of Vengeance
6. Out of Control
7. Strike of the Viper
8. Death Race
9. White Wizzard
10. Gates of Gehenna
11. Heading Out to the Highway

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Glomag - Roland & The Lamprey

2010-03-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the poor Techno Tuesday post yesterday, today shall make up for it!! I’ve
listened to this album about once all the way through. And it’s so good it’s basically a brown noise the whole way through. Honestly this guy is on par with bitshifter, and I love it. And you can assume from the comparision with bitshifter, it’s ANOTHER chiptunes post, but this is seriously good and I hope you enjoy it. He even sings on a few tracks so it reminds me of Pornophonique. I can’t describe how awesome this album is…just give it a listen!

1. The Ecstasy of Gold
2. Roland & The Lamprey
3. Bad Therapy
4. Ice Me Nine
5. Disco Nostromo
6. Fan Service

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DJ Lhasa – Pinocchio CDM

2010-03-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

(No album art that I could find.)

Today I bring you DJ Lhasa, however there is only for songs on this CD, and two of which are the same songs, just extended mixes, sorry for the short track list. They are surprisingly different for just being extended mixes. Both songs are really good, and are different from each other. The songs are really upbeat(As with most techno) and keep you wanting to jump around time after time. My favorite out of the two is Teknopatia, anyway give it a listen, and enjoy!

1. Pinocchio
2. Teknopatia
3. Teknopatia(Extended Version)
4. Pinocchio(Extended Version)

Also I have several mixes of techno, that are rather large(50 songs+) would you be interested in me uploading those? Let me know in the comments.

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News From The Machine 3/28/10

2010-03-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here Is The Weekly News From The Machine

The Gorillaz Are Preforming Concerts With An All-Star Cast Link

The Baddest Motherfucker In The World Now Has A Documentary About Him Link

For Some Reason Tom Hanks Is Going To Make A Movie Out Of American Idiot Link

The Strokes Are Recording Songs Without Lead Singer, But He's Cool With It Link

Noel From Oasis Talks About What It's Like To Be Attacked On Stage Link

The Founder Of KC and the Sunshine Band Arrested for Allegedly Having Sex With Young Boys Link

Donny Osmond Is Offended By The Video For Lady GaGa's Telephone. Looks Like Someone's Trying To Get The Most Out Of His New 15 Minutes. Link

French Pop Band Phoenix Are Offering A Live Album Free From Their Own Website. Totally Rad. Link

The Original Members From Evanescence, Besides Amy Lee, Are In A New Band That Sounds Like Their Old Band Link

Roger Daltrey Isn't Stopping Anytime Soon Link

Devo Has A New Song On Their Youtube, And They Want Your Feedback

Wu-Tang Clan/Wu-Tang Meet the Indie Culture, Vol. 2: Enter The Dubstep (2009)

2010-03-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

A remix album of sorts, this one caught my eye because it crosses genres and works well in doing so. I myself am not a huge fan of Rap music, but what I do appreciate is the ability to tell stories in music, and as such I've liked Wu-Tang for being able to do it so well. This is an album for fans new and old, essentially working a bit like Wu-Tang's greatest hits except remixed by Dubstep artists. Dubstep is a dirty, grimy style of electronic music, and as such it fits in with the rhythm and flow of Rap music, so what better way to introduce new fans to the Wu-Tang and keep old fans new with reinvention? It's essentially a re-imagination album. What if Wu-Tang weren't hip-hop pioneers, and were electronic music based? As a Wu-Tang fan Enter The Dubstep keeps me entertained with old verses on new beats, and as an electronic music fan I'm interested to hear what these remixers have to offer to keep the songs sounding fresh. It's a wonderful experiment that I think works well, especially on tracks like Cinema, which really illustrates the storytelling ability that the Wu always could reach. Iconoclasts and Lyrical Swords work the same way. This is how I imagine hip-hop of the future to sound. Check it out.

Tracklist
01. Deep Space (Jay Da Flex & Yoof Remix)
02. New Year Banga (Rogue Star Remix)
03. Street Corners (Scuba Scythe Remix)
04. Love Don't Cost (A Thing) / Still Grimey (Nebulla & Dore Remixes)
05. Knuckle Up (Matt U Remix)
06. Biochemical Equation (Datsik & Excision Remix)
07. Keep Hustlin' (Trillbass Remix)
08. Now Or Never (Parson Remix)
09. Cinema (Chimpo Remix)
10. Coke (DZ Remix)
11. Iconoclasts (Syndaesia & AKS Remix)
12. Handle The Heights (Stenchman Remix)
13. Do It Big (Baobinga & I'd Remix)
14. Wu-Tang (DZ Remix)
15. Let's Get It (Evol Intent Remix)
16. Lyrical Swords (Pawn Remix)
17. Think Differently (Hellfire Machina Remix)
18. Pencil / MyPiano / Firehouse (Soroka Remixes)
19. Alphabets (Dakimh Instrumental Remix)

Myspace

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Late of the Pier/Fantasy Black Channel (2008)

2010-03-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Late of the Pier are a fairly new band with barely legal teens playing a catchy, infectious take on a New Wave/Punk combination. It's Dance-Punk at it's finest. Not revolutionary, but a very solid entry into the genre. What makes them worth mentioning is how they procure the music itself. It all feels a bit like they're experimenting, switching song styles midway through a song, only to return to the first style at the end is common among this album. A bunch of songs are multi-part, in that they switch styles and tone several times, and the hooks and riffs are intermittent. It's an album that asks to be played all the way through, so when you hear the familiar hooks and riffs, you also hear the more unconventional songs or bits they found interesting that you might skip if you were just looking for the hit single. For a band's first album, it's surprising how well focused the band seems to be on how they want to sound. From Nu Disco and Afro-Funk to Video Game-y bits and Justice style Electro Beats, it's a weird, quirky mash-up that works very well. Recommended tracks are Hot Tent Blues, Space and the Woods, Broken, Heartbeat and Focker.

Tracklist
1. Hot Tent Blues
2. Broken
3. Space and the Woods
4. The Bears Are Coming
5. Random Firl
6. Heartbeat
7. Whitesnake
8. VW
9. Focker
10. The Enemy Are The Future
11. Mad Dogs and Englishmen
12. Bathroom Gurgle.

Myspace

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The First News From The Machine Round Up

2010-03-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

So this is the first post of what I'm thinking of calling News From The Machine. Enjoy your news!

News From The Machine

The Stooges finally got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Link

Jack Johnson is Giving 100% of his Tour Profits to Charity Link

Dio is Too Busy Slaying Dragons to Lose to Stomach Cancer Link

Ratt's Streaming A Song From Their First Album In Ten Years. And It Rocks! Link

Universal Is Cutting CD Prices, and Yes I Do Still Buy CDs Link

Green Day Is Set To Record Next Album Link

The Dead Weather Announce "Sea Of Cowards" Another Awesome Album Link

Lady GaGa Defends Her "Telephone" Music Video Link

Grizzly Bear/Veckatimest (2009)

2010-03-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

I'm generally not a fan of Indie Rock, so for a band of the genre to really get me excited, they have to be pretty damn good. Veckatimest is the big album that all of Grizzly Bear's earlier works were leading up to. They hint at the just how big the album's scope is with its first two tracks: Southern Point's psychedelic folk-jazz throws listeners into its bustling acoustic guitars, piles of vocal harmonies, and various sparkling sounds. The gorgeous Two Weeks, by contrast, is the album's most immediate moment, its "Would you always? Maybe sometimes? Make it easy? Take your time" chorus teetering elegantly between pleading and reassuring as it's buoyed by backing vocals courtesy of Beach House's Victoria LeGrand. I Live with You, which builds from the Brooklyn Youth Choir's vocals into skyward-climbing chamber pop, to While You Wait for the Others and Cheerleader's deceptively simple pop, are all showing how good Pop and Rock can be when put into the right hands. Grizzly Bear knows when to come in for close-focus moments like About Face and the final track, Foreground which, with its simple piano melody, is one of the band's most beautiful ballads yet. It's clear that Veckatimest was made for a lot of listening. Nearly every song feels like the musical equivalent of a big meal: there's lots to digest, and coming back for second (and thirds,) is necessary. bits of this review were taken from Allmusic's Heather Phares.

Tracklist
1. Southern Point
2. Two Weeks
3. All We Ask
4. Fine For Now
5. Cheerleader
6. Dory
7. Ready, Able
8. About Face
9. Hold Still
10. While You Wait for the Others
11. I Live with You
12. Foreground

Myspace

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Lyrics Born - Later That Day

2010-03-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, no techno tuesday this week, but I got one hell of an album for you today. I'm not going to say I know a lot about it though, because it's a rap/hiphop album, and usually not a fan of this type of music, but I like anything that has intelligent lyrics and takes skill to produce. And this defiantly defines what I try to look for when looking for certain rap/hiphop albums. Anyway check it out, sorry for the terrible review! My favorite song by far is Bad Dreams

1. Dream Sequence Intro
2. Bad Dream
3. Rise And Shine
4. Callin' Out
5. U Ass Bank
6. Cold Call
7. Interlude
8. Stop Complaining
9. Do That There
10. Last Trumpet
11. Pack Up
12. Hott Bizness
13. Love Me So bad
14. One Session
15. Nightro
16. Hello (Bonus Track)

Myspace
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ZZ Top/Tres Hombres (1973)

2010-03-16T00:54:00.000-07:00

This is the album that made that little 'ol band from Texas a household name. Tres Hombres is the trademark album that brought these southern rockers the attention they deserved. Tres Hombres is a blues rock masterpiece. Running at a lean 10 songs at 33 minutes, it's a hard rocking, tough talkin', blues rockin' album. The songs are infectious and catchy. Soon enough after first listening, you'll have Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers or the trademark riff from La Grange flowing through your mind, maybe even humming it. ZZ Top get right down to how a Texas bar band should, low-down, sleazy, and proud of it. It's a dirty blues album from start to finish that starts with a bang with Waitin' for the Bus and ends with the great Have You Heard? There's bluesy shuffles and off-beat humor that just makes you feel happy. You can't listen to this album and be sad when this band just sounds so damn happy about playing the music they love. They aren't lyrical geniuses, nor are they the greatest with their instruments, but what they do with them is evoke the feeling of happiness and down home southern rocking. It's a little masterpiece of an album that I highly suggest you listen to, especially if you're trying to get into a better mood.

Tracklist
1. Waitin' for the Bus
2. Jesus Just Left Chicago
3. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
4. Master of Sparks
5. Hot, Blue and Righteous
6. Move Me on Down the Line
7. Precious and Grace
8. La Grange
9. Sheik
10. Have You Heard?

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Moderately A News Worthy Post

2010-03-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

Except I typed the title with the most annoying form of typing out there. Sorry, I was in album mode where every word is capitalized, my bad. Anyways, It's come to my attention that the posting on this blog is entirely random and spotty. To make it up to you, i'd like to ask your opinion on possibly a new(s) feature.

Would you like to have a music news round-up post every week? An idea i've had is that on Sundays I could post a small blog entry with the highlights of music this week with a link to the real article, kind of like being a music news aggregator. During the week I'd look for worthy music news to post and on sunday I'd put up a post that has 10-12 links to music news or announcements that I think you might find interesting. Is that something you'd be interested in? Tell me in the comments.

Quicksilver Messenger Service/Happy Trails (1969)

2010-03-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Trails is a live album from early psychedelic rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service, an band that's hardly heard of but well respected. The album is essentially centered around the extended reworkings of Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love? (A 6 track journey) and Mona. The album is the last to feature the original incarnation of QMS, despite them only having their debut as their only studio album at the time. The collective efforts of the members retain the uncanny ability to perform with a psychedelic looseness of spirit, without becoming boring or in the least bit pretentious. The six-song-long epic Who Do You Love? suite carries four distinct sections for the respective band members. The perpetually inventive riffs and chops of QMS are what is truly on display here. The musicians' unchallenged instrumental skill and practically psychic interaction allow them to seamlessly weave into and back out of the main theme. Yet all the while, each player takes center stage for uncompromising solos. Mona and its companion, Calvary, continue in much the same way. Here the members of QMS play off each other to form a cohesive quartet. A prime example of an undiscovered gem, I treasure this album and so should you.

Tracklist
1. Who Do You Love (Part 1)
2. When You Love
3. Where You Love
4. How You Love
5. Which Do You Love
6. Who Do You Love (Part 2)
7. Mona
8. Maiden of the Cancer Moon
9. Calvary
10. Happy Trails

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Diablo Swing Orchestra - The Butcher's Ballroom

2010-03-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

I'm back! And I don't even have a Techno post today. Sorry for the break. But I have some VERY interesting music to share with you today. In fact I have no idea what genre to put it in. It’s a mix of Opera, Mexican, Asian, and pretty much everything you can imagine all in one album that is surprisingly really good. And the band is called Diablo Swing Orchestra. It’s a very hyper album with a lot of different things happening to keep you listening time and time again. The best thing about this is the fact that it’s so varied. No two songs sound alike at all. Some are slow, some are fast, some are instrumental, and some have singing all the way through. I found this artist on Jamendo as well, and unfortunately their second album isn’t available for free download like this one was, so I haven’t got it yet, but I will eventually! Anyway enjoy. My favorite song is easily Balrog Boogie

1.Balrog Boogie
2.Heroines
3.Poetic Pitbull Revolutions
4.Rag Doll Physics
5.D’angelo
6.Velvet Embracer
7.Gunpower Chant
8.Infralove
9.Wedding March for a Bullet
10.Qualms of Conscience
11.Zodiac Virtues
12.Porcelain Judas
13.Pink Noise Waltz
Myspace
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Yo La Tengo/The Sounds Of The Sounds Of Science (2002)

2010-03-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Yo La Tengo, the quintessential indie-rock band. Despite having been around since the late 80's and having well reviewed albums, no one seems to know about this band, So I'll do my part to help spread the word. While this is a bit of an oddball album for me to be recommending from them, considering it's an instrumental album, I still think it's worthy hearing a band that usually sings do it. The Sounds of the Sounds of Science is 8 tracks of instrumental score they composed to go with French filmmaker Jean Painleve's underwater documentaries and shorts. As a result, the album feels very cinematic. The songs have moods, textures, landscapes. It's relaxation music basically. This is a good cd to just put on and enjoy the atmosphere it creates. Whether you need a good album to read with, chill with, or just to enjoy the ambiance with, The Sounds of the Sounds of Science is your friend. The music gives off this sort of underwater feel without using sound effects or anything similar to give you the feeling. The guitar playing is liquid-y, and sometimes bounces off of basslines that come and go like bubbles. My favorite track is the 12 minute The Love Life of The Octopus. It's just really beautiful to listen to.

Tracklist
1. Sea Urchins
2. Hyas and Stenorhynchus
3. Shrimp Stories
4. How Jellyfish Are Born
5. Liquid Crystals
6. The Love Life of the Octopus
7. Acera or the Witches' Dance
8. The Sea Horse

Myspace

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Dommin/Love Is Gone (2009)

2010-03-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

It's sadness and despair for the modern depression. Love Is Gone is the debut album from Dommin, a Goth-Rock band whose lead singer sounds very similar to Danzig, giving the songs a sinister edge to them, and sometimes a familiar feel, as if Danzig himself might have possibly written some of the songs. Dommin's dark and low voice gives the songs a unique sound, you can spot a song of theirs a mile away. The synths are surprisingly light and airy, contrasting against the dark and crunching guitars and drums, kind of like they're floating on top of the heavier music, making it have a sort of positive edge. Like it doesn't necessarily have to be bad, or things will look up. The hooks are catchy. (I.E. My Heart, Your Hands, Love Is Gone and Dark Holiday) It's a new, fresh sound from a genre that needs a new breathe of life in it. The songs may be sad, but that doesn't mean you have to be. You can take the album as Dommin's story of what happened to someone and leave it as that, or you can take it as a warning to take care of your heart. Or you can think he is simply writing songs that appeal to a certain group of people, but that's highly unlikely given how emotional the songs sound, as if singing them made him relive the memories they're based on. Fans of Danzig will enjoy the rocking New,which has Dommin howling like Danzig and the soaring Tonight. My favorite track is Closure, a sad tale of despair that spells the end of a relationship. It's a new Goth-Rock, and I like it.

Tracklist
1. My Heart, Your Hands
2. New
3. Evenfall Hollow
4. Tonight
5. Love is Gone
6. Dark Holiday
7. Without End
8. Within Reach
9. Closure
10. Making The Most
11. One Feeling
12. I Still Lost
13. One Eye Open
14. Honestly

Myspace

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Justice/† (2007)

2010-02-22T22:03:00.000-08:00

I was having a hard time explaining why I love this Dance/House album so much, so instead of me, take someone else's word for it who actually can articulate his feelings on the album.

French boys Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé originally got their start in the music scene playing in bad Metallica and Nirvana cover bands, and the album art of Cross makes it look like a doomy metalcore release, but the record is anything but metal. In fact, it's almost everything but metal. It's a grimy mix of dancehall, techno, '80s R&B, and lounge with Clockwork Orange synths, deadly static crunches, hard-hitting kicks, grinding groans, and a spliced Off the Wall slap-popping bass. Scattered and chopped to all hell, the songs often feel revolutionary. This is partially due to the duo's "anything goes" attitude. It's as if Justice is reacting to complacency in latter-day electronic music and seeing how far they can take their slicing and dicing before the chopped up compositions fall apart. At certain moments, samples are dissected into such little snippets that it's hard to even decipher the instrument from the clicks and pops in-between the splices. Usually when the songs unravel to this point, they suddenly halt and get reeled back in to cohesion with the sudden snapback of a fishing lure that has been swept into the rapids. Instead of using their laptops to keep their beats tight and precise, Justice uses them to shake up their songs to such a gnarled, jittery point that they sometimes sound like mistakes. These happy accidents give the tunes a humanistic touch, like futuristic beats deconstructed by cavemen. While the instrumentals are often sinister and melancholy, as if they were concocted in a cold, cavernous atmosphere (which they were, in Rosnay's basement), the tracks with vocals are perfectly designed for a hot nightclub. "DVNO" has disco handclaps and bouncy vocals that could have been ripped from Oingo Boingo, "D.A.N.C.E." is tricked out with a Go! Team double-dutch flavor, and "Ththhee Ppaarrttyy" incorporates a cute-voiced rapper coaxing her friends to get "drunk and freaky fried" over a keyboard potentially lifted from Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. At the darker end of the dance spectrum, "Stress" is an exhausting exercise in patience with a teapot whistle screaming over a tension-building Space Invaders type bassline, and "Waters of Nazareth" combines a crunchy church organ with a bottom-heavy synthesizer rolling in gravel. Admirably random samples dug up from underground sources like '70s Italian prog-rockers Goblin, combined with a reckless abandon and an adherence to melodic hooks, makes Cross one of the most interesting electro-crossovers since Ratatat, and the guys in Justice do an excellent job building on Daft Punk's innovative foundation. - Jason Lymangrover AMG

It's fresh, bouncy, and samples everything in the book to make new sounds that make them the worthy successors to Daft Punk.

Tracklist
1. Gensis
2. Let There Be Light
3. D.A.N.C.E.
4. Newjack
5. Phantom
6. Phantom, Pt. 2
7. Valentine
8. Tthhee Ppaarrtty
9. DVNO
10. Stress
11. Waters of Nazareth
12. One Minute to Midnight

Myspace

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PixlCrushr - Lario and Muigi from the Kushroom Mingdom

2010-02-16T16:01:00.001-08:00

This is probably my favorite chiptunes album ever...in the history of everything. PixlCrushr brings such a unique flavor to his work, and the fact that he puts little audio clips from video games just makes it all the more nostalgic. Unlike my over-achieving partner(Just joking, I love you.) , I won't be doing a special 1-year anniversary post, because I've had some computer troubles, but I can at least offer you some great chiptunes, and hope you enjoy it.

1. World 1
2. New Song For The Ice Cream Man
3. And Then They Ate My Shoes
4. Ninja Theme
5. Part Party Join Us Join Us
6. Pixl Man
7. Red Type
8. Pixel City Anthem
9. There's A Sine In The Rain

Myspace
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One Year Celebration Mega-Post/Depeche Mode

2010-02-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well it happened everyone, yesterday was the official 1st birthday of the blog. I can't believe it's gone so long, and there is no end in sight. To celebrate, I'm going to do a post on recommended albums to download from my favorite band, Depeche Mode.

Depeche Mode/Some Great Reward (1984)

This is the album that made people seriously consider DM a band to be reckoned with. Before this their big hit was "Just Can't Get Enough" a good song, but it's cutesy and total 80's cheese. But this album, had them experimenting with sounds and textures and lyrics that were dark, ominous, even poppy in a less conventional way. They reinvented themselves into the band everyone knows today on this album. It's like taking 80's industrial and twisting and turning it until it becomes mainstream pop, able to be devoured by the masses. With 9 songs, this album is tight, concise and not one second is wasted. The album is full of classics, Something to Do, Lie To Me, People Are People, Somebody, Master and Servant, and the dark, depressing tale of Blasphemous Rumours, a song about a girl who tries to kill herself, fails, while in the hospital finds God and becomes a changed person, only to be killed by a car a few years later. A sad, depressing tale that is the stand-out finale of this album, with metal sounds lush in the background. One of the best albums of all time.

Tracklist
1. Something to Do
2. Lie to Me
3. People Are People
4. It Doesn't Matter
5. Stories of Old
6. Somebody
7. Master and Servant
8. If You Want
9. Blasphemous Rumours

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Depeche Mode/Music For The Masses (1987)
This is Depeche Mode celebrating their new found fame and taking it to new creative directions, writing another set of memorable songs on this 10 track album. Songs like Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, and the perfect driving song Behind The Wheel occupy this album. It's not as industrial sounding as Some Great Reward, instead it has more poppy synths and guitars, but still sounds like the same band, just expanding. The lyrics are about desperate love and being wanted, and it works to wonderful effect here.

Tracklist
1. Never Let Me Down Again
2. The Things You Said
3. Strangelove
4. Sacred
5. Little 156. Behind The Wheel
7. I Want You Now
8. To Have and to Hold9. Nothing
10. Pimpf

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Depeche Mode/ 101 (1988)

A great double disc live album, encasing the best of DM in the 80's. While focusing a lot on Music of the Masses material, it also covers their other hits that didn't have huge albums to accompany, like Black Celebration and Everything Counts. And they include a great version of Just Can't Get Enough. They even do some alternate arrangements of hits like Stripped and Blasphemous Rumours, possibly even better than the studio versions. Overall a great live album, and a good way to hear DM in their 80's greatness.

Tracklist
1. Pimpf
2. Behind The Wheel
3. Strangelove
4. Sacred
5. Something to Do
6. Blasphemous Rumours
7. Stripped
8. Somebody
9. Things You Said
10. Black Celebration
11. Shake The Disease12. Nothing
13. Pleasure, Little Treasure
14. People Are People
15. A Question of Time
16. Never Let Me Down Again
17. A Question of Lust
18. Master and Servant
19. Just Can't Get Enough
20. Everything Counts

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Depeche Mode/Violator (1990)

The Depeche Mode of the 90's. Different, but good. This is my very favorite DM album, having a score of 5 out of 5 stars on Allmusic. To me it's a perfect album. It's darkly romantic, but with 90's sensibilities. Once again, each song is a hit, with only 9 songs nothing is wasted. World in My Eyes is funky and a great way to introduce the album. Sweetest Perfection is DM sounding like DM should. Personal Jesus is the biggest song they've had in a long time. A song that has a simple yet effective blues guitar riff and hip-hop style beats. It's a masterpiece of a song. This is a rock album from a band who aren't necessarily considered rock musicians, mostly working with synths. It rocks. Hard. If you must get only one album, get this.

Tracklist
1. World in My Eyes
2. Sweetest Perfection
3. Personal Jesus
4. Halo
5. Waiting for the Night
6. Enjoy the Silence
7. Policy of Truth
8. Blue Dress
9. Clean

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Depeche Mode/ Ultra (1997)

Not their best album, but it's still great musically. 7 years after Violator, DM sounds like a changed band. A member left, and Gahan, the lead singer, took singing lessons, which changed the way he sang, and gives him more emotion in his voice than ever before. This is Depeche Mode channeling the goth's in them (in the album booklet they all have eyeliner and black painted fingernails. As such it's them being sad and depressed, but on a new level. The standout track on this album is It's No Good, becoming a classic of the band. While the rest of the album has other big hits, Barrel of A Gun, Sister Of Night, they just don't match up to the power and feeling of It's No Good. While this album isn't for everyone, it's still an album that exceeds expectations, and shows DM isn't ready to quit just yet.

Tracklist
1. Barrel of a Gun
2. The Love Thieves
3. Home
4. It's No Good
5. Uselink
6. Useless
7. Sister of Night
8. Jazz Theives
9. Freestate
10. The Bottom Line
11. Insight
12. Junior Painkiller

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Depeche Mode/ Exciter (2001)

A return to form for the band, being the first album of the new decade, it is similar to the first album of the last decade, Violator. It's cohesive, and shows the band growing and continuing to succeed. The beats are usually minimal in size, but pack a wallop. Lyrics focus on the usual, love and obsession. It's haunting, melodic and a sleeper hit from the band. Not being known to be in their best work, it's still a really good album. Gahan's voice is snake like at times and the guitar work is slippery and stinging. It's not a stadium rocking album, it's an album to put on in the background and appreciate it without expecting greatness. Shine, When The Body Speaks and I Feel Loved are the best tracks on the album.

Tracklist
1. Dream On
2. Shine
3. The Sweetest Condition
4. When The Body Speaks
5. The Dead of Night
6. Lovetheme
7. Freelove
8. Comatose
9. I Feel Loved
10. Breathe
11. Easy Tiger
12. I Am You
13. Goodnight Lovers

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Depeche Mode/ Playing The Angel (2005)

Considered the best album since Violator, Playing the Angel is lyrically and tonally very similar to it, but with an added age of a whole 15 years later. While Exciter was a more quiet, in the backround album, Playing The Angel returns to the rocking anthems and grandstanding worthy of praise. The instruments used were mostly analog and the beats are more rough, giving the album a bit of a rougher feel than the last few polished albums, which is a nice surprise. It makes it feel like when they finished the album, they were happy with it the way it is, no need to revise it further. Lyrically they are on top of their game, with Gahan actually writing a handful of songs on the album, showcasing his other talents. It's an album that wants you to listen to it not in single track form, but as whole, a journey, an experience. Songs like John The Revelator, Suffer Well, Precious, Lilian and The Darkest Star (this is where I've taken my name from) are the stand out tracks, encouraging you to listen all the way through, telling you not to hit stop. It's rough but catchy and still contains the pop we love from DM. A great album.

Tracklist
1. A Pain That I'm Used To
2. John the Revelator
3. Suffer Well
4. The Sinner in Me
5. Precious
6. Macro
7. I Want it All
8. Nothing's Impossible
9. Introspectre
10. Damaged People
11. Lilian
12. The Darkest Star

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Depeche Mode/ Sounds of the Universe (2009)

The latest DM album, it actually sounds like a re-invention of the 80's DM, while still remembering they've made quite a few albums since then. Gahan shares about 3 songwriting credits on the album, one being the great track Come Back, which really captures the essence of this being an open, spacey album. Peace recalls the 80's industrial phase they went through, and is a roaring track, and Wrong is just on it's own level of greatness as it combines this spacey, lush soundscape with gritty, harsh sounds and lyrics to really be the star of the album. The album is big, and it doesn't sound old, even though more than half the album will recall the early 80's side of DM, it makes it its own. This sounds like a band sitting down and going, okay, what did we do that we liked on our early work? And then taking what they've gathered and re-worked it into a modern sound and making it sound new all over again. This is definitely a great album, which is spacey, big, open and really does sound like it's recalling the sounds of the universe.

Tracklist
1. In Chains
2. Hole to Feed
3. Wrong
4. Fragile Tension
5. Little Soul
6. In Sympathy
7. Peace
8. Come Back
9. Spacewalker
10. Perfect
11. Miles Away/ The Truth Is
12. Jezebel
13. Corrupt

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Blake Lewis/Heartbreak On Vinyl (2009)

2010-02-13T16:02:00.001-08:00

Blake has been my favorite American Idol contestant. He stood out, he was original, he beatboxed. He didn't look or sound like your conventional AI popstar. Two albums later he's going strong. While his first album was admittedly a bit shaky, I blame that on the fact that AI producers had the creative hold on him. His second album however, Heartbreak On Vinyl, sounds like something Lewis would create wholly by himself without someone else's creative input. It's modern age Dance-Pop, with Lewis' talent for beatboxing thrown in and/or affected to be another part of the sound collage that makes up this album. At times it can be a bit cheesy, like Freak (about seeing a girl moving on the dance floor) Or Left My Baby For You, but the songs are catchy and Lewis has a good voice for this, and the writing for the most part is spectacular. The first song, the album's namesake, is abound with vinyl references only a child of the 80's could think up. The lyrics are somewhat unique, I don't hear other pop artists talking about how they fell out of love by using the metaphor "Heartbreak on vinyl I guess was for people like us who fell in love in analog and never let go." While a good general amount of the album is about heartbreak, I.E. the title track, Sad Song, Rebel Without A Cause, etc. it's done in an upbeat way. Not like you should wallow in sadness because it's a sad song, but celebrate because he's telling you this story and not to feel sorry for him. I think the whole album is great. It sounds like it would be the soundtrack a dance club would put on when a live DJ isn't around. It's synth-tastic and knows how to make vocoders fun (Binary Love, Left My Baby For You) It knows how to make moving songs (Heartbreak on Vinyl, Sad Song, Our Rapture Of Love), and knows how to make songs that make you move. (Freak, The Remedy, Love Or Torture) Plus, some mighty fine beatboxing and vocal scratching on track #9. It's a unique sound coming from a unique vision in the modern state of pop. What are you waiting for, download it already!

Tracklist
1. Heartbreak On Vinyl
2. Binary Love
3. Freak
4. Sad Song
5. Rhythm of My Heart
6. Afraid
7. Left My Baby For You
8. Rebel Without A Cause
9. Superscratchavocalisticturntableicious
10. Our Rapture Of Love
11. The Point
12. The Remedy
13. Love or Torture (Please Don't Stop)

Myspace

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Persuader/Evolution Purgatory (2004)

2010-02-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

This is power-thrash metal. Meaning it rocks harder than your grandma. If you like Power Metal, but wish it had a harder edge to it, look no further. Persuader are kinda like Blind Guardian (another good power metal bands) but with a slight thrash metal vibe. This isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea for sure, but why are you drinking tea to begin with? The lyrics are pretty much standard Power Metal fare, but they aren't laughably bad (like Dragonforce's) The album opens up with the roaring Strike Down, only to lead into my favorite song and title track, the headbanger Sanity Soiled. Then there's masquerade, which just amplifies the intensity of the whole album. The rest of the album has stompers like The Godfather, and Turn To Dust is just pure Metal. There is no filler on this album, all 10 second songs are perfect in their thrashing power metal glory.

Tracklist
1.Strike Down
2.Sanity Soiled
3.Masquerade
4.Godfather
5.Turn to Dust
6.Passion / Pain
7.Raise Hell
8.To the End
9.Fire at Will
10.Wipe Out

Myspace

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Prana Yama - Hardstyle & Jumpstyle Tracks

2010-02-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Alright so here we have another Jamendo artist. And at first I didn't like this album that much, though I only skimmed through the tracks, But as I'm writing this, I'm listening to it, I really enjoy this album, that'll teach me not to judge a book(or song) by it's cover! Anyway it's hard to put this album in any sort of category, personally I don't think Hard and Jumpstyle really fit it. In my opinion Both of those should be faster then what the album has in store. The tracks are named weird, they have their BPM in the title, which is kind of interesting. And as the album it gets faster which is pretty cool. Anyway, give it a listen, it's good stuff.
P.S. As an interesting side-note Prana Yama means "restraint of the prana or breath"

1. Unpretentious
2. To Go On A Trip
3. It's Make Or Brake
4. Gopnik
5. Rain Sound
6. Liberta
7. Quake The Ground
8. On Edge
9. Moon Light

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No myspace that I could find.

Scooter - Jumping All Over The World

2010-02-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hey, Don't worry I'm still here. I've been how you say..."lazy" or whatever, I'll be posting more often now. Anyway let's get off me feeling guilty, and onto the music! This is Scooter's album called "Jumping All Over The World" and it's in the sub-genre catagory of techno called Happy Hardcore. Meaning the voices are all odd and high pitched, and there is a lot of bass, that you would see in hardstyle or something. This album is really fun, and I find it to be the only good one by this artist. But it's really bouncy and makes you want to get up and dance because of the quick beats and I personally love the voices, but Darkest_Star, doesn't.

1. The Definition
2. Jumping All Over The World
3. The Question Is What is The Question
4. Enola Gay
5. Neverending story
6. And No Matches
7. Cambodia
8. I'm lonely
9. Whistling Dave
10. Marian
11. Lighten Up The Sky
12. The Haredcore Massive
13. The Greatest Difficulty

Some of the tags are messed up on the songs, but just ignore that, I didn't notice until now. Sorry.
Anyway my favorite songs are And No Matches, Neverending Story, and Enola gay.
Enjoy.

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Myspace

Thin Lizzy/Jailbreak (1976)

2010-02-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for classic rock, then you've reached the contender for best hard rock album of generation's past right here. Lead singer Phil Lynott has been described as a rough rebel with a heart of a poet, and you can certainly hear that on Jailbreak. He doesn't sing songs, he tells stories. Combining the poet with the soaring twin guitars and the right on drums with the tight and skillfully played bass that the poet plays makes this one of the tightest bands I've ever heard. Coming in at 9 songs in around 36 minutes it's short and perfected. No song has been stretched out too long, nor have any unnecessary tracks been added, it's just the most perfect 9 song album around. You won't find many tough as nails bands singing with such a light, seductive touch to their vocals. It's a unique combination that makes Lynott and company truly legends. Every song is a classic, granted some are bigger than others (The Boys Are Back In Town) each song is a gem. Particularly Romeo and the Lonely Girl and Emerald, the closing track. Just sit back, turn on Jailbreak and let the album play, you're bound to love the album.

Tracklist
1. Jailbreak
2. Angel From the Coast
3. Running Back
4. Romeo and the Lonely Girl
5. Warriors
6. The Boys Are Back in Town
7. Fight or Fall
8. Cowboy Song
9. Emerald

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Aerosmith/Aerosmith (1973)

2010-01-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for straight up American Blues-Rock, look no further. Aerosmith's self-titled debut album is truly a classic. I'm sure all 8 songs have been played on classic rock stations everywhere. It has seminal classics like Dream on and Mama Kin, lesser known but still revered Make It and One Way Street, and all out classic rock fun with Somebody, Write Me, Movin' Out and Walkin' The Dog. The sound of Aerosmith in this album is that of what you would expect a band who's playing at a bar to sound like, except they're the most perfect version of that; The best bar band. Steven Tyler showcases his unique voice, and Mick Jagger-esq vocal style combined with Joe Perry's sleazy blues slide guitar make for one hell of a good time. It's hard rock that makes you happy, gets you pumped. It's no wonder Aerosmith has been called America's greatest Rock 'N' Roll Band, this debut is the first in a long line of instant classic from them, so why not pick up where they started?

Tracklist
1. Make It
2. Somebody
3. Dream On
4. One Way Street
5. Mama Kin
6. Write Me
7. Movin' Out
8. Walkin' the Dog

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Golden Earring/Moontan (1973)

2010-01-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

Golden Earring is an overlooked dutch rock band that made quiet the tasty jam. If you like bluesy rock like The Stones then you're in for a treat here, as they combine a blues rock attitude with a psychedelic mentality to keep the funky grooves going. Moontan is only six songs long, but only Suzy Lunacy and Just Like Vince Taylor are under six minutes. The songs don't sound too long or drawn out either, they sound like the natural progression of the song. And you could say that while some of the tracks are overly long, just consider that essentially each song has an intro and an outro to help make the album as a whole a pleasant listening experience. It's not overly long, clocking in at just forty minutes, so it's not like its a chore to listen to. The album is a good exercise in knowing when a band is comfortable playing with each other. The guitars, drum and bass flow effortlessly in rhythm with the vocals, and they compliment each other quite well. Also on this album is the mega-hit Radar Love, which is more well known as being covered by White Lion and even Ministry. The original feels and sounds just as good, proving that no matter the age, a good song is a good song. It's also been voted one of the best songs to drive to, and you can tell why. The rhythm is a pulsating monster that goes along with the rising vocals to make any drive one of epic proportions. I highly recommend this song and this album as a whole.

As a side note, Golden Earring was formed in 1961 by a 13 year old and a 15 year old and they're still going, having over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and platinum albums in Holland, where they're from. Last year marked the release of a new album and they're considered one of the oldest rock bands still preforming. They are living legends.

Tracklist
1. Candy's Going Bad
2. Are You Receiving Me
3. Suzy Lunacy (Mental Rock)
4. Radar Love
5. Just Like Vince Taylor
6. The Vanilla Queen

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Heaven Shall Burn - Iconoclast

2010-01-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I was looking through my collection of techno and I didn't find anything particually interesting to write about this tuesday, but I do have something for you! Albeit, not techno. But metal, anyway I give you Heaven Shall Burn. I could probably write a book on how amazing this band is. Ten years in the business and they're just getting started with the latest album you can hear and feel something never before touched upon musically. Everything they sing about is so empowering and controversial I, personally can't help but love it. Oddly enough the entire band is vegan and they all have very interesting jobs outside of the band. They're big believers in human and animal rights. Don't let the name scare you though, they're not meaning the religous heaven they mean the fake paradise people create in their hands to blind themselves from reality. This entire album is incredible, my favorites would have to be though Endzeit, Forlorn Skies, Black Tears.

1. Awoken (Intro)
2. Endzeit
3. Like a Thousand Suns
4. Murderers Of All Murderers
5. Forlorn Skies
6. A Dying Ember
7. Joel
8. A Quest For Resistance
9. Black Tears
10. The Bombs Of My Saviours
11. Against All Lies
12. The Disease
13. Equionx
14. Atoement

Myspace
No Download available, The album I have is too big for mediafire. Sorry guys. :P(Torrents ftw!)

The Doors/The Doors (1969)

2010-01-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

The Doors is the first album from the one of a kind psychedelic rock powerhouse that is The Doors. Their official catalog spans 7 studio albums a compilation and a live album in the four years they were a band. While they did make a few albums after The Lizard King died, I don't count them as material worthy of The Doors name. While I adore all seven of their albums, the most accessible and easily most recognizable is the self-titled first album, coming in at a total 11 songs (my version has an extra 3 songs, they're outtakes from the sessions) Each song is famous, and has most likely made its way through classic rock stations everywhere. Every song is a hit. From the opening drum hits of Break On Through, sliding into Soul Kitchen, making it's way through to Light My Fire, the most famous song on the album by far, and ending with, well, The End. This is music my friend and Techno Tuesday poster Cory would call dirty hippie music. It's representative of the late 60's/early 70's time it was recorded in. The band is tight and knows how to jam with each other while still sounding like they're just playing the normal song (see the Door's Live In Boston album for the half hour version of Light My Fire that includes an impromptu song within a song and two different poems) Morrison's poetry combines perfectly with the atmosphere the band creates to give you a one of a kind experience that no other band has since given. It's all "far out man" but in an album format, it's all nice and contained for the those people who don't like jam bands. With the exception of Light My Fire and The End, every song is only a max 3 minutes and 30 seconds, most songs being the higher 2 minute ranges. I can't recommend this album enough, even if you don't listen to this kind of music, it's a classic for a reason people.

Tracklist
1. Break On Through (To The Other Side)
2. Soul Kitchen
3. The Crystal Ship
4. Twentieth Century Fox
5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
6. Light My Fire
7. Back Door Man
8. I Looked At You
9. End of the Night
10. Take It as It Comes
11. The End
12. Moonlight Drive (Version 1)
13. Moonlight Drive (Version 2)
14. Indian Summer (8-19-66 Vocal)

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